The first Annual General Meeting of the Western Isles Development Trust (WIDT) was held in Stornoway on Monday 18th December.

The meeting allowed for the completion of a range of routine administrative tasks and the presentation of the Directors’ Report and Annual Accounts. In addition to these administrative duties, the meeting also allowed for the election of a Director by the Ordinary Membership of the Company, with Laura MacIver from Stornoway being elected to the Board.

Speaking after the meeting, WIDT Chairman, Mr. Peter Carlin said: “The election of a Director from the Ordinary Membership is an important step forward for WIDT. It helps deepen the community representation and ensures that the Membership has a strong voice on the Board. I am enormously pleased that a young person such as Laura has been elected. Laura is a talented young woman that will bring youth, vigour and new, fresh thinking to the Board.”

Mr. Carlin continued, “I think it is important for us to remember that the key objective of WIDT is to strive for development across the Western Isles. Everyone in the islands is aware that we’re losing far too many young people. Recent research suggests that the Western Isles is losing over 12% of its young people per annum – the highest percentage in the Highlands and Islands. We need to find new industry and new opportunities that will offer young people the ability to live and work in their own communities. To my mind renewable energy and the resulting community benefits offers one part of the solution to that critical issue”.

The meeting also discussed the present community benefit offers from developers and unanimously resolved to revert to the developers to seek further discussion and where appropriate increased benefit opportunities.

On this issue Peter Carlin said, “It is clear that a significant package of community benefits is already in place that will assist the sustainability of communities and help create new jobs. The membership of the company is clear in their view, however, that these benefit offers should be viewed as a first step and that discussions and negotiations should be continued with the relevant companies. The WIDT membership is particularly interested in examining with the developers whether elements of the benefit offers can be accelerated forward to allow an early benefits fund to be established. We will take these issues forward with the developers over the next weeks”.

Notes:

For further information and copies of the Director’s Report contact:

Calum Iain MacIver
01851 709 594
calum.maciver@cne-siar.gov.uk

Western Isles Development Trust is an independent Trust seeking to promote sustainable, economic, social and environmental activity across the Western Isles. Its Memorandum and Articles of Association has six objects:

i) to promote the well-being of all the Western Isles of Scotland and of the people of the Western Isles

ii) to encourage and assist all types of development that will be of economic, educational, environmental, cultural, social or recreational benefit to the people of the Western Isles

iii) to promote general charitable purposes for the benefit of the communities of the Western Isles by means of financial support to the Western Isles Charitable Trust

iv) to generate income to develop a fund for the foregoing objects and to administer said fund with a view to ensuring that, as far as practical, the impacts and benefits of renewable energy developments are distributed throughout the Western Isles, such income to be derived from alternative / renewable energy or other economic developments in the Western Isles by means of (a) voluntary donations or (b) in exchange for services to be provided or arranged by or through the Company or (c) by direct investment including equity participation either by the Company or through any subsidiary of the Company in such developments and / or in industries related to such developments

v) to undertake research and development in the field of alternative / renewable energy

vi) to promote and implement or assist in the implementation of energy efficiencies schemes

There is provision on the WIDT Board for representatives from the Association of Community Councils; Comhairle nan Eilean Siar; the Hebridean Renewable Energy Partnership; the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership and the Scottish Crofting Foundation. Ordinary Members are entitled to elect one Director.

Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Tel: 01851 709389 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk