The Melness Crofters Estate (MCE) owns the prospective site – from which small satellites will be launched into orbit – and has agreed to work closely with Highlands and Islands Enterprise as part of the development process.  

The ballot, which was held last week, saw 59% of votes cast in favour of working with HIE on the project with 39% of votes opposing the plans.  

Ready for Lift-Off 

The decision now means that the £17 million project can enter the next phase, which will focus largely on environmental safety issues and community engagement.

Dorothy Pritchard, MCE Chair, said: “MCE held a ballot that resulted in support for progressing discussions to reach a Heads of Terms. This simply means we are happy to continue discussions with HIE, work towards a conclusion on the heads of terms and ultimately the land lease.”

Pritchard added that “the onus will be on HIE to demonstrate a sensitivity towards safety and the environment.” 

While she highlighted the potential benefits for the local community in regards to job growth and greater interest in STEM subjects among young people, environmental impacts upon the local ecosystem must be of paramount importance during the development process. 

Collaboration and Communication

The UKVL Sutherland project received backing from the UK Space Agency in July this year. Orbex and Lockheed Martin both plan to utilise the spaceport with launches planned during the early 2020s.  

During the announcement in July, Business Secretary Greg Clark said the site will ensure the UK’s position at the forefront of a “rapidly expanding space market”, which could contribute billions to the UK economy in the coming decades.  

With the backing of MCE, HIE’s Project Director Roy Kirk said the organisation is “very grateful” for agreeing to collaborate on the project. 

He added: “We firmly believe that the spaceport will open up a host of new opportunities for businesses that want to become involved in the growing space sector.  

“As part of our next steps, we’ll be stepping up our communications and making sure local people know what the spaceport is likely to mean for them.” 

Kirk conceded that people within the local community will have concerns over the project, however insisted that communication is key to ensuring issues are discussed and detailed.