Developments such as this will have logistical and related impacts across the islands, including on statutory and other services delivered by the Comhairle.

The formation of the Oversight Board seeks to ensure forward looking oversight to minimise disruption and achieve the best outcomes, for the Comhairle, and for the Outer Hebrides, from these developments.

Councillor Paul Steele, chair of the oversight board, said: “We are on the cusp of unprecedented development and activity coming to the islands. These opportunities and challenges require detailed co-ordination and planning in respect of the Comhairle’s statutory services such as planning and roads, and to ensure developments provide significant community and legacy benefits across the whole of the island chain.”

In related work, the Comhairle has joined forces with Shetland and Orkney Islands Councils to pursue a better deal for electricity consumers in the islands. Despite having the highest rates of Fuel Poverty in the UK and being positioned to contribute considerable volumes of renewable electricity to the UK National Grid, island households and businesses still pay the highest price for electricity consumed.

Meetings are being held with both governments, the Energy Regulator, Electricity Network Owners and the newly nationalised National Energy System Operator, successor to National Grid Electricity System Operator, to identify an effective solution or solutions.

Efforts include pressure on the Regulator to allow a short-term special island tariff for discrete geographic areas suffering most from Fuel Poverty. In the longer term, a mechanism is being sought to allow an electricity supply company to retail electricity, sourced from wind turbines to consumers in the same postcode region (for example, the Outer Hebrides) at a level of discount linked to the output of the wind turbines. This solution will require all benefitting households to be fitted with a Smart Meter and the three Island Councils will be supporting the Energy companies in their Smart Meter rollout campaign for 2025.