Rare eagle population could keep UK’S first spaceport out of orbit

0 An artist’s impressions of the UK Spaceport planned for Scotland, which would include a launch site for rockets to carry micro-satellites A £45 million plan to build the UK’S first spaceport could be delayed for years amid concerns over Scotland’s population of white-tailed eagles.

The UK Space Agency in partnership with Aerospace giant Lockheed Martin has put forward a plan to create a launch site for rockets to carry micro-satellites.

It had hoped a commercially viable launch site on Melness Crofting Estate on A’mhoine peninsula in the Scottish Highlands would be created by 2020.

However, local crofters are threatening to take the UK Space Agency and the Melness Estate to the Scottish Land Court over environmental concerns.

There are fears over the effects on the area’s unique ecology, with claims the project could threaten Britain’s only established population of white-tailed eagles.

John Williams, co-founder of the Protect the Mhoine group that is campaigning against the development, said: “The A’mhoine is part of a rare peat bog ecosystem that requires TLC, if it is to survive, for future generations.

“We believe that a rocket launch site, without adequate environmental protection monitoring, is not tenable.”

Mr Williams said whitetailed eagles – the UK’S largest bird of prey – could be severely threatened, and the rare peat bog could be lost to be replaced with concrete.

The Melness Crofting Estate, which represents 56 local crofters who own the land and would subsequently lease the site to the UK Space Agency for the project, has been under “severe pressure” since the plans were first announced.

Last month three of its seven directors resigned over how

0 White-tailed eagles are the UK’S largest bird of prey

the plans had been handled after only 27 of 56 crofters voted in favour of leasing the land to the UK Space Agency.

George Wyper, one of three directors who stepped down, said: “Some people didn’t know what they were voting for. It has certainly caused a split in the community.”

Mr Wyper said much of the local crofting community had been kept in the dark about

what was involved and the fact there was a lack of information from the developers.

He said the process could be taken to the Scottish Land Court, which deals with disputes involving crofting land use and could take years to resolve.

Linda Munro, who represents North, West and Central Sutherland on the Highland Council, said it was “absolutely true” the community was divided.

The project, nicknamed the “British Cape Canaveral”, will create more than 40 permanent jobs and 400 construction jobs.

The commercial space sector is estimated to be worth a potential £3.8 billion to the UK economy over the next decade. Funding for the project includes £17m from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and £23.5m from the UK Space Agency.

An additional £5m will come from Orbex – a British rocket company who will develop technology for the site.

The Melcross Estate were contacted for comment.

At the time of choosing the site, the UK Space Agency said: “Scotland is the best place in the UK to reach highly soughtafter satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets.”