Download the Draft Tiree Community Development Plan.pdf (1.3Mb)

 

The Isle of Tiree, 60 milies west of Oban at the edge of the Atlantic, is working hard for its future.
Its population is currently around 770, a level that has been relatively stable over the last 10 years
following a more prolonged period of population decline. The population is, however, ageing with
24.8% over the age of 65, nearly double the national average.

Such statistics demonstrate the fragility of Tiree's community. If the population falls further some
of Tiree's key facilities - the school, the surgery, regular transport links, the care unit - may not be
economic and it may lose what it has. No one wants this to happen, but if nothing is done and Tiree’s fate is left to others, it may end up with solutions to the problem that it doesn’t want or need,
or are inappropriate to Tiree's culture and environment.

As a community, Tiree needs to plan for the future now to ensure there is a robust economy, a healthy
population and a high quality of life for all. This will help to guarantee that the islands services and
facilities will be retained and hopefully enhanced.

This draft Community Development Plan is Tiree’s first try to do just that.

Tiree’s community has recognized the value that renewable energy technology could play in Tiree’s sustainable future. Therefore, integral to the Plan is a Tiree Renewable Energy Strategy, which includes the proposed Community Wind Energy Project.

There are many factors in Tiree's favour to help in this work. Around 19% of Tiree's population are aged
between 5 and 19. If Tiree can give this new generation, and all other members of the community, the
right ingredients to make living and working on Tiree an attractive option, everyone can play a key role in shaping a long and successful future for Tiree.

Much work has already been done by many. To continue this effort and to ensure all future effort is focused in the right direction for the island as a whole, the community needs to work together and write down and agree what it is we would like to do, and then do it!

The contents of the Plan are therefore based on the communities thoughts, ideas and aspirations.

Tiree’s community has recognized the value that renewable energy technology could play in Tiree’s sustainable future. Therefore, integral to the Plan is a Tiree Renewable Energy Strategy, which includes the proposed Community Wind Energy Project.

Vision
The Plan contains a 20 year vision:

“In 2025 Tiree will continue to be a thriving and economically viable
community sustaining a high quality of life for all whilst safeguarding our remarkable
environment, heritage and culture. By making the island more attractive to young
people and families we will create a balanced community of at least 1000”.

Tiree's Core Values - “We don't want to see Tiree change at all, only for the better.”

The community said that there is a lot that is important to them - these are our
'Core Values'.

The Gaelic culture and language, the way of life, the pace of life, architecture, crofting, the
scenery and the people themselves. These are all factors that combine to make Tiree what
it is - a unique living historical and environmentally important landscape that supports an
isolated and proud community. No-one wants to see these important values change and
this draft Plan is designed to ensure that they remain a part of Tiree's character no matter
what is done to continue to improve the quality of life and the opportunity to be more
economically active.

The broad statements outlined in the Plan are intended to be applied collectively to
guide any decisions about Tiree's future. As such they will underpin everything proposed and
undertaken in this Plan. No action will be taken that has the potential to impact significantly
on these values. To do so would invoke the wrong kind of change for the island.
These Core Values will also be actively promoted both on and off the island to encourage
public bodies, voluntary groups, private interests and individuals to adopt and align their
own thinking and decision making with them. Taken together they represent a powerful
message about the type of change Tiree is prepared to tolerate.

Targets
The Plan also identifies targets for Tiree. Over the next 5 years, through the delivery of the Plan and through working in partnership with all, Tiree could set itself the following targets as it works towards its vision:

• To build at least 15 new affordable houses for rent
• To create 20 more permanent jobs
• To maintain the number of crofting businesses and cattle at current levels whilst
increasing the quality of stock
• To increase Tiree's resident population by 10%
• To make Tiree a 100% renewable energy consuming island with high standards
of energy efficiency
• To complete 5 community 'Flagship Projects' taken from this Plan
• To make Tiree a quality tourist destination and improve visitor satisfaction

Although the Plan will deliver a lot more than just these targets, these are the key ones and
monitoring progress towards them will allow Tiree to see how it is doing overall. The Plan
and these targets will be reviewed, amended, and added-to every 5 years to ensure Tiree is
still on course to reach its longer-term vision.

Strategic Themes
The following 'Themes' are proposed as the key areas in which effort is required if Tiree is to have a chance at reaching its vision. This effort will be required from all - government
agencies, community groups and most of all yourselves as an integral part of Tiree's
community.
• Community Facilities and Infrastructure
• Crofting and Agriculture
• Employment and Economic Development
• Housing
• Marine Resources and Fishing
• Renewable Energy
• Tourism and Marketing
• Transport
• Youth and Children

Flagship Projects
The Plan has identified numerous and varied opportunities for development activity. Whilst each of these has the potential to contribute significantly to achieving the island's overall vision, resources do not allow everything to be progressed at once.

Therefore there is a need to prioritise what happens first. 'Flagship Projects' have been identified, considered to be those areas of work that should be progressed initially. Taken together they will form the basis of a work programme for the next 5 years.

THEME SIX Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

One of the themes in the Plan relates to Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. It sets the challenge of how Tiree, as a community, can develop renewable energy opportunities and energy efficiency measures to provide community benefit?

Widespread community consultation has identified a desire by Tiree's community to use
the island's abundant natural renewable energy resources for the benefit of the island as a
whole. Investigation has revealed that of all the renewable energy technologies available,
wind energy is the only one that is currently commercially proven and would be cost effective
in use. Solar energy in the form of water heating or for the generation of electricity through
the use of photovoltaic panels would work well on Tiree, but current capital costs prohibit
this technology from being cost effective for making money for the community unless some
form of grant assistance is obtained. Domestic use of solar water heating and other technologies, e.g. ground source heat pumps, are already in use on Tiree, but their use is based on individual householder preferences rather than pure economics. Wave and tidal energy technology are still at the prototype stage and expensive.

To this end, a Tiree Wind Energy Feasibility Study was commissioned and completed in 2004
to see how this technology could benefit the island. Among its findings were the following:
• The electrical capacity on Tiree for renewables projects is quite limited due to the
weak nature of the local electricity grid. Allowing for capacity already contracted,
it was estimated that 1400kW remains for new projects
• The wind resource on Tiree is excellent, and for budget purposes a long-term wind
speed of 7.2m/s at 12m above ground level may be assumed for most sites. A more
accurate assessment including wind speed measurements may be needed for
individual sites, particularly if there are hills or other obstructions nearby
• Siting a wind turbine on Tiree must take account of a number of environmental
constraints including formally designated nature conservation areas, areas of high
bird concentration, and visual acceptability within the landscape
• Technical constraints to siting include: Tiree Airport avoidance zones, interference
with the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) radar on Beinn Hynish, avoidance of
interruption to radio frequency (RF) transmissions including TV and microwave
communications, a very weak local grid network and the distance of turbines from
the national grid
On the basis of this work initial screening procedures were carried out to find potential
locations for installation of a wind turbine project, provisionally comprising 1-3 machines,
that could be used to generate and sell electricity to the national grid.
This led to the identification of a preferred site behind Beinn Hough and widespread support
from the community to move the proposal forward was given at the Tiree Community
Conference 2004.

Subsequent has meant that the site has had to be moved to Ruiag Sliabh. The project is now being developed to the point where a planning application can be submitted, (estimated to be early 2006), (update: now expected Nov 2006), however, the community will again be asked to vote before this proceeds.