Got’n a Grip
Strong local decision making and a good economic balance
We’re in danger of becoming complacent. This is the fourth consecutive year that the islands
have been voted “Best place to live in the UK” by Country Life magazine, but the news has not
even made it to the front page of the Shetland Times. Perhaps we no longer feel the need to be
congratulated by others; perhaps we know it now ourselves. But by virtually every
measurement – quality of life, quality of environment, economy, health – we are succeeding,
and that success is very largely of our own making. Bold decisions, difficult decisions, wise
decisions: these are what have brought us to where we are. And all we needed was a sense of
where we wanted to be.
For a while back there it looked like we might be in trouble. Having developed an economy that
was hugely dependent upon public money for employment and for service provision, the
financial crash in the early twenty-first century and the massive public cuts that followed it left
Shetland in a difficult position. The community funds amassed by Shetland Charitable Trust and
the Council’s Reserve Fund had previously been used to prop up elements of public spending,
but there was enormous pressure on decision makers to halt this practice and to try and
maintain funds at a sustainable level. Understandably, many feared the consequences of these
cuts.
Today those fears are gone. The absolute dominance of the public sector is now a thing of the
past, but service provision has not been reduced; indeed, the quality of services – particularly in
care, in health and in transport – has been considerably enhanced by a variety of partnerships
and alternative models of provision, incorporating both the private and the voluntary sector.
Volunteering has grown enormously in importance, as have community enterprises; traditional
Shetland values of caring for and working with one’s neighbours are alive and well. Small
businesses and entrepreneurs, too, are today brimming with creative energy, ready to take on
the challenges and opportunities of this small, remote community.
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Oil today is expensive – approaching $200 a barrel – but here in the islands we have adapted
well to this trend, reducing our dependence at virtually every level. We eat far more of the food
we produce. Imported food is costly, so this makes good financial sense, as well as having
environmental benefits. The change in dynamics has also been helpful for the agricultural
industry. Crofters can now have their animals slaughtered, packaged and sold in the islands,
without the need for a host of middle men, and this has been an enormously welcome change,
and has seen a rise in more ‘active’ crofting. The logic of exporting live lambs to Scotland while
importing dead ones from New Zealand now seems entirely ludicrous, and is very much a thing
of the past. There has, however, been a growth in branding of Shetland food for export, adding
value and increasing the demand for island products. “Shetland” is now seen as a label
denoting serious quality.
People have also been encouraged to grow more of their own food by the high price of
shop-bought items. Allotments and community polytunnels are now commonplace. This has
had health and community-building benefits, as well as economic ones.
Shetland has achieved management control of all species within its fishing grounds. The islands
are the envy of the maritime world for the conservation of fishing stocks and the way in which
fish caught in Shetland waters are marketed throughout the world. Fish catching, together
aquaculture and fish processing, are worth £1 billion to the local economy every year.
Renewable energy has become an integral part of our way of life. The early steps in this
direction were fraught with controversy, but now those conflicts are almost forgotten. Shetland
Charitable Trust invested heavily in the first major windfarm project, and that investment paid
off, and it continues to pay off today. The trust’s fund now stands at £320 million, and trustees
now have the benefit of a considerably larger budget with which to invest than was previously
the case. Later renewable developments have been made with a greater degree of public
support, and always the emphasis has been on community benefit, not just in terms of income
but also infrastructure. Power generated renewably is today provided at recharging points for
electric vehicles in various places around the islands, though plans to sell this energy very
cheaply have been hampered by EU regulations. Despite this, there has still been a widespread
switch from traditional cars to low carbon vehicles (including in public transport), and has
reduced the cost of travelling within the islands. So while mainland UK is suffering prices of £3
or more for a litre of petrol, we are enjoying the benefits of much cheaper, renewable fuel. The
steady move towards a low carbon economy has also extended to housing, with insulation for
existing homes being paid for by community energy profits. New housing is also built to much
higher eco-standards, and we have chic new homes that are affordable both to rent and to buy
for those starting out, as well as smaller retirement style homes. There is also more private and
public sector supported housing for those can’t afford their own.
Of course, while travel within the isles is cheaper, the cost of leaving or getting to Shetland is
much more expensive, particularly air travel, since fares are still determined by high oil prices.
However, we have benefitted from an increased capacity ferry service from Aberdeen (in
response to our rising population, and our growing role as a "North Atlantic hub") as well as
from ports in Norway, Iceland and Faroe. Flights from London and Oslo are now also available
from our main airport.
The rise of renewable energy in the islands has given us a prominent role within the industry.
Courses in renewable technology are now run through Shetland College, which this year has
opened a brand new campus in Unst, dedicated entirely to education and research in these
technologies. The college attracts students from across the UK and Europe, bringing a more
youthful and cosmopolitan feeling to the islands. We are seen, today, as a centre of research
and development in this sector, as well as in engineering and other attendant industries. The
investments made in broadband, and in more recent ultra high-speed data lines, have helped to
make this possible, and have ensured that rural parts of the islands have not been left behind in
the economy. Many more businesses are now based outside Lerwick, including a growing
number of small, web-based and technology companies. With lower property prices in rural
areas, combined with virtual connectivity comparable to any UK city, these are increasingly
attractive places to work. The council too encourages its staff to work either from home or
from community hubs, and this has proved a successful model. A fixed link from the Mainland
to Bressay was completed five years ago, and there are plans underway for tunnels to Whalsay
and Yell, which will ensure, it is hoped, the continuing success of these islands. Other remote
communities too are witnessing a revival of their fortunes, and this has also led to one of the
more unexpected developments of recent years. With the loss of many schools around the
islands still keenly felt, some parents are now opting to educate children at home or in
‘community classrooms’, making use of virtual learning facilities, and sometimes local
volunteers, to offer a different model of primary education, one which may yet grow beyond a
few, isolated examples.
The early years of public sector cuts were difficult, and some who lost jobs chose to leave the
islands for better prospects elsewhere. Now, however, unemployment is very low, and the
division of labour between public and private sectors is healthier than in previous decades.
Vocational training for the private sector has been encouraged and developed to help fill skills
gaps. In addition, the “community economy” has flourished, with community-owned
companies and collectives moving into areas as diverse as care, textiles, tourism and energy
production. This has been viewed as a huge success. It has helped to bolster community spirit –
seen as particularly vital in rural areas – and has covered some of the ground once held by the
public sector. No longer are council and community viewed as one and the same. Social
enterprises have also helped to support the voluntary sector in local care initiatives and
environmental projects. Limited commercial investment has been made in some of these
enterprises by the Charitable Trust, and they are now considered an integral part of the islands'
success.
The Charitable Trust itself has changed a great deal in two decades. No longer dominated by
councillors – instead bringing together a range of talented individuals from across the spectrum
of Shetland society – the trust pursues a strategy of intelligent investment, both locally and
internationally, and the increased profits born of this are used, in part, to help tackle the social
blights – poverty, inequality, drugs and health problems – that have not, of course, been
eradicated from our community. There is a good deal of public support for these kinds of
initiative today.
Within the third sector, Shetland has seen the rise of a new and highly significant group of
people – those past working age, but still eager to work. Volunteering among the ‘young old’
has increased year on year, particularly in areas such as social care – once the domain only of
the public sector. Two years ago, a small, six-bed care home was opened in Nesting by a local
community enterprise, aided by a well-organised and trained group of volunteers, with limited
support from public sources. There are now plans for an extension to the care home, and this
model looks likely to be copied in other parts of Scotland and Shetland.
Another positive factor has been the rise in population that has been achieved, particularly in
the past ten years. Currently Shetland’s population stands at just under 29,000,. About half of
this rise consists of newcomers to Shetland, but there has also been a significant increase in the
number of young people and graduates returning to the islands. Better job prospects, a more
vibrant private sector and a positive community spirit have been the main drivers of this
population change, which has mirrored the huge population growth seen in Faroe during the
twentieth century. There have been concerns about some aspects of this rise, however. The
growing number of non-working or retired people in Shetland has put pressure on health and
care services that are already feeling strain. However, it is hoped that the population is now at a
sustainable level, and demographic pressures can and should encourage the development of
innovative projects such as the Nesting Community Care Home.
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One of the greatest, and perhaps least appreciated, threats to these islands two decades back
was the growth of a widespread cynicism within the community. The actions of successive
council administrations attracted severe criticism from both outwith and within the islands, and
the early stages of renewable energy development were particularly difficult. Many people felt
a growing distance between themselves and decision makers. This feeling evolved also into
resignation, apathy and a general distrust of the council. While all eyes were on the economic
ball, there was a real possibility that Shetland's strong sense of community could be
permanently damaged. This would have made the growth of a more positive future much more
difficult.
One of the priorities, then, of these past two decades, has been trying to repair some of this
damage within the community, and trying to restore a shared involvement in change. It was
never going to be possible for every person to agree with every decision that was made, but a
spirit of openness and inclusivity, and sincere efforts towards public empowerment, has helped
to reverse the trend towards corrosive cynicism. The tangible successes that have been
achieved socially, economically and environmentally have also assisted in cementing the now
widely-accepted view that we are “on da richt gait”.