Shetland-Music.com

Mareel, Shetland's proposed cinema, music and education complex, could be under threat from a new planning and development edict from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

The HSE have issued new safety guidelines relating to planning applications for areas adjacent to bulk fuel storage sites in the UK following the Buncefield incident last year, when petrol vapour from an overflowing storage tank ignited causing a major fire on the site and damage to the surrounding area.

The new legislation basically states that the HSE suggests no new planning applications should be considered in relation to developments such as offices, houses and indeed any such development that will, in themselves, increase public usage of areas within a 400m radius of bulk fuel storage sites.

Current public occupacy within such areas is deemed acceptable and safe, but further or new public related developments should not take place say the HSE until the full findings of the Buncefield fire, and its damage related ramifications, have been fully investigated and equated, which could take years. In the meantime they intend to implement the current restrictions until this information becomes available to them.

Shetland Arts Director Gwilym Gibbons said this ruling could have severe implicataions for Mareel, the site of which falls within such legislation, given its proximity to the North Ness fuel storage depot.

A public meeting held on Wednesday 13th Feb, chaired by Alistair Carmichael MP, heard that the proposed legislation would not only severly affect the plans for Mareel but also other proposed developments in the area, including the new housing development planned on the site of the old North Star music venue.

Concerns were raised at the meeting that there were a number of anomolies in and lack of clarity in respect of the HSE legislation and that the HSE had not taken account of special circumstances in respect of the Lerwick site and the adjacent area.

Mr Gibbon said that Shetland Arts, among others, were seeking to address these issues with the HSE as a matter of urgency so that the planning application for Mareel could be lodged as planned early this year. He said that even if these discussions did not bring about a change of plan, Shetland Arts might lodge the planning application anyway in the hope it could be considered in its own right, taking all health and safety related issues and matters into account.

Anyone who wishes to register thier support for Shetland Arts efforts in this respect should contact Gwilym on (01595) 743813

For the story courtesy of Shetland Today - Click Here

For the story courtesy of Shetland News - Click Here

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