Proposal of Application Notice submitted for temporary workforce accommodation village in Stornoway

Image: The red line boundary, which represents the temporary development area required for construction of Balfour Beatty’s proposed worker accommodation on land off Willowglen Road, Stornoway. The PAN boundary does not represent the footprint of the accommodation village itself, which is expected to be significantly smaller.  

• Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) sets out temporary area required for construction of worker accommodation for proposed Lewis Hub 

• Balfour Beatty and SSEN Transmission plan public consultation events to gather local feedback on accommodation plans

A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) outlining the development area for a temporary workforce accommodation village required for the construction of SSEN Transmission’s proposed Lewis Hub has been submitted to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. 

The PAN submitted by principal contractor Balfour Beatty does not represent the final size or layout of the site, but outlines the proposed general development area (or PAN boundary) for the village off Willowglen Road in Stornoway, which will house workers involved in the construction of the Lewis Hub should planning permission be granted.

Local residents and stakeholders are being invited to provide feedback on the proposals at public consultation events being held on Wednesday 17th September and Wednesday 29th October at the Caladh Inn in James Street, Stornoway from 3-7pm. Teams from Balfour Beatty and SSEN Transmission will be on hand to discuss the proposals.

The PAN submission comes in advance of Balfour Betty’s submission of the full planning application for the temporary accommodation village, which is expected in the coming months and will follow a further round of public consultation events where detailed proposals will be presented.

The proposed development is on land leased by Lewis Wind Power (LWP), developers of Stornoway Wind Farm and a partnership between EDF power solutions and ESB. LWP is developing its own proposals for separate temporary accommodation for its workforce on adjoining land, which will be subject to a separate planning application. Balfour Beatty will collaborate with Lewis Wind Power to co-ordinate infrastructure such as new utility connections.

In March, SSEN Transmission submitted its planning application for the Lewis Hub project which comprises a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Converter Station and Alternating Current (AC) substation at Arnish Moor. It is a key element of the Western Isles HVDC Link project that will improve local network reliability, while supporting national clean energy and energy security ambitions.

George Young, Director of Operations from Balfour Beatty, said: “We are keen to hear from the local community regarding our plans for temporary worker accommodation in Stornoway, and our consultation events will provide an opportunity for people to find out more about the project and let us know their views.”

Callum Wardrop, SSEN Transmission’s Project Director for the Lewis Hub, added: “Alongside Balfour Beatty we are committed to engaging with the local community as we aim to deliver our workforce accommodation in a way that takes account of the views of local people.

“In considering our requirements for workforce accommodation we have been mindful of our responsibilities to the local community, and the proposed temporary workers’ village will help our contractor meet their accommodation needs, while minimising impact on local housing supply and hotel spaces that are vital to the local tourism sector.

“Meanwhile, SSEN Transmission is actively exploring several other opportunities that are also required to support the delivery of the project. This includes supporting the refurbishment and conversion of existing properties as well as seeking to contribute to the delivery of permanent new housing in Lewis.”