Arnish meeting was helpful say group
The Action for Arnish campaign group has welcomed an assurance from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) that they have a “shared objective” for the future of the Isle of Lewis fabrication yard.
This follows urgent concerns raised on the island about possible implications of the administration process involving BiFab. BiFab’s assets include a lease of the Arnish yard from HIE.
Following a meeting that also involved Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and the Stornoway Trust, HIE have expressed willingness to participate in a working group to take forward shared objectives.
The three island-based organisations had formed a united front to highlight concerns about the risk of Arnish being caught up in any deal agreed by the BiFab administrators which might not be in the island yard’s best interests.
Following the meeting, Alistair Dodds, chair of HIE said: “It was very helpful to hear directly from the Action for Arnish Group, Stornoway Trust and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar about their ambition for the future of Arnish.
“We support the shared objective to find the best possible outcome from the BiFab administration.”
Iain MacLeod, chair of Action for Arnish, said: “It was quite an encouraging discussion insofar as HIE clearly understand the issue at stake - which is to prevent Arnish being caught up in a deal with the BiFab administrators which is not in the yard’s best interests.
Council Leader Roddie MacKay, said: “This was a useful meeting that helped define a shared agenda. We will now move forward collectively to develop a shared document around what we believe success at Arnish looks like.”