Following a consultation event in September, local residents and stakeholders are being invited to view and comment on proposals for the village at a public consultation event taking place on Wednesday, 29 October at the Caladh Inn in James Street, Stornoway from 3-7pm.

Teams from Balfour Beatty and SSEN Transmission will be on hand to discuss the draft proposals and outline how the temporary accommodation village will be used and managed. These proposals have been developed to take account of feedback received during the first round of consultation.

In March, SSEN Transmission submitted its planning application for the Lewis Hub project, which comprises a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Converter Station and Alternating Current (AC) substation at Arnish Moor. It is a key element of the Western Isles HVDC Link project that will improve local network reliability, while supporting national clean energy and energy security ambitions.

George Young, director of operations from Balfour Beatty, said: “We have listened to the comments made in the first round of consultation and are keen to present our plans for temporary worker accommodation in Stornoway and our response to the concerns raised. This consultation event will provide another great opportunity for people to find out more about the project and let us know their feedback.”

Callum Wardrop, SSEN Transmission’s project director for the Lewis Hub, added: “Alongside Balfour Beatty, we are committed to engaging with the local community as we aim to deliver our workforce accommodation in a way that takes account of the views of local people.

“In considering our requirements for workforce accommodation, we have been mindful of our responsibilities to the local community, and the proposed temporary workers’ village will help our contractor meet their accommodation needs, while minimising impact on local housing supply and hotel spaces that are vital to the local tourism sector.

“Meanwhile, alongside our commitment to deliver 1,000 new homes across the north of Scotland as part of our infrastructure investment plans, we are actively exploring other opportunities that are also required to support the accommodation of the workforce who will deliver this project.”