Wick will soon be a ghost town

[rob murray]

Also seeing as how Im either on a downer or seeing the world as it is, I may add the following to the tale of woe

1 Complete demise of fishing / fishing infrastructure and related jobs
2 Loss of Civil Service based Jobs caused by merging departments etc
3 On going job cuts in public sector services

I wonder who will be partaking of the services in the great charrette ? Or is the point to create a tourism attraction ? Live of the tourist pound ?

See below ;

Malcolm MacLeod was addressing objectors’ concerns to a plan to establish a triple wind farm development off the Caithness coast and also suggested that the jobs created, could be regarded as compensation for the loss of scenery.
Mr MacLeod, Highland Council’s head of planning and building standards, was commenting, on a consultation request from the Scottish Government’s Marine Scotland division to an application it has received from Moray Offshore Renewables (MORL) Ltd, along with 10 objections. It wants to construct three farms, named Stevenson, Telford and McColl, 22 kms off the south-east coast of Caithness.
The development has generated 10 objections from salmon fishery interests, bird guardians, the RSPB, and two MSPs, among others, to the company’s enterprise.
Fears the towering structures could adversely impinge on the far north’s tourism trade, have been acknowledged in Mr MacLeod’s report which will be considered by the North Planning Applications Committee , tomorrow.
Technical reasons make it difficult to be precise about the number and dimensions of the turbines, at this stage, but they could range from 189 in number to, 204 metres high, to 339 turbines 162m in height. They will take six years to build and will be capable of producing 1.5GW.
The project might run into troubled waters, however, if opponents of the development, backed by MSPs Kevin Stewart and Rob Gibson manage to persuade councillors to lodge an objection.
The objectors argue that the turbines will have an adverse impact on marine life and salmon and tourism interests and cite potential problems with noise and the visual experience, as well as posing a safety threat for workers. They question whether the financial return will be adequate and point to other alternatives such as wave power.

[plutonio]

I'm not surprised that the "sport shop" is to close, I went in once to buy my son a new football top and we were going to use his East End Boys Club membership card to get the 10% off only to be told by the owner that there was not no margin on football tops and the membership card was not valid on football tops. A few weeks later the subject cropped up at the East End football and I was told by one of the committee members that discount was supposed to be valid on all items from the shop! He may have diddle me for £3-4 pounds but it was the last penny he will ever get from me. REAP WHAT YOU SOW!

[Shaggy]

sigh, yet another thread hijacked by the wind farm crap......

[secrets in symmetry]

Oh Ye of little faith! The soul of Wick will live on as long as there is still the place that is the Camps.

[Phill]

Oh Ye of little faith! The soul of Wick will live on as long as there is still the place that is the Camps.

So true!
I am desperately trying to engineer a reason to get in a visit to Camps!

[Phill]

REAP WHAT YOU SOW!

'Tis so true. In the correct aspect.
Across the whole of the UK the same can be seen. The usual hypocrisy of bone idle laziness coupled with internet retardedness "It must be cheap 'cos it's on the internet".
Reap what you so! If you don't use your High St it will go, simples! But just consider the likes of Comet, with their 'Online' presence and 'internet' only prices, where are they now!
Last summer we needed a Dishwasher and we needed it now. After a few calls and lots of tinterwebbing, I collected from Beggs in Wick the same afternoon a dishwasher that would take a week to deliver from the 'web'. Only for £9 more!
Think about that. £9 extra to get it now, local, from a shop on your High St.


However I have to say, I am seeing a future in the High Street. But by those are pro active.
And I will no longer use the likes of Amazon. It's no good bitching about the state of the economy whilst you are complicit with tax evading criminals.

[rob murray]

sigh, yet another thread hijacked by the wind farm crap......

The thread is Wick will soon be a ghost town : the promise is renewables jobs ....wheres the hi jack ?

[starfish]

i once went ot graham beggs for a washing machine the same one was nearly £100 cheaper in co op , i asked if graham begg could better his price as i wanted to shop local and was told by him if i could get it cheaper then go else where so i did and have never been in the shop again

[secrets in symmetry]

So true!
I am desperately trying to engineer a reason to get in a visit to Camps!

You don't need a reason to visit the Camps - just do it, and maybe regret it later!

Even I will admit there are times when the Camps isn't what's needed - in which case one must visit either Mackays or the Blackstairs...

The lady that runs the latter will always brighten up your day, even though I have somehow temporarily forgotten her name....

[Phill]

just do it, and maybe regret it later!

Never regretted it!

[sids]

Even I will admit there are times when the Camps isn't what's needed - in which case one must visit either Mackays or the Blackstairs...

The lady that runs the latter will always brighten up your day, even though I have somehow temporarily forgotten her name....

It's "Darling."

[Shaggy]

Rob, the thread is based on the point that shops are closing, not that theres going to be a wind farm off the coast and i personally dont think Wick will receive any work nor a single penny from the wind farm

[sids]

I am desperately trying to engineer a reason to get in a visit to Camps!

You're thirsty.

[secrets in symmetry]

Never regretted it!

Not even when you wake up on the morning after, and try to remember what you sang the night before?

It's "Darling."

Lol! I imagine she'd give me a big smile at that!

I remembered her name as I finished posting....

[Rheghead]

Significant economic benefits are coming to Wick. If the antiwind brigade had their way then Wick could become a ghost town.

http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/...s-19032013.htm

[ducati]

Significant economic benefits are coming to Wick. If the antiwind brigade had their way then Wick could become a ghost town.

http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/...s-19032013.htm

How much economic benefit? Er...some. That's OK then, on yer go!

[Mystical Potato Head]

Significant economic benefits are coming to Wick. If the antiwind brigade had their way then Wick could become a ghost town.

http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/...s-19032013.htm

.You have no idea how many jobs are going to be created or what the benefits are..Craig Milroy wouldnt commit to the number of jobs that would be created in Caithness.Milroy said it was too early to make commitments in the Wick area but you seem to know more.
"In the Wick area it is too early to make commitments but we would anticipate there will be significant opportunities once we fully understand how we are going to construct it,” he said.

Anticipating significant opportunities isnt dealing with actual facts either.

But Mr Mackay called on MORL to say how many Caithness people it expected to employ during construction.

“How much will come to Wick Harbour and Scrabster?,” said the Thurso member. “I would like to know about how much are they going to employ locally before I decide.”

Mr Fernie, one of Wick’s councillors, predicted Caithness and the Highlands could reap substantial economic rewards.

“It has significant potential for development and the whole of the Highlands, particularly the east coast, could benefit,” he said.

“If works are to actually flow to Wick there will be opportunities where they are looking to places like Wick Harbour and all the sub-contractors which are likely to flow from that.”

All i'm seeing here are ifs and unanswered questions. "Significant potential" "could benefit"and "If works are to actually flow to Wick" are not facts.There have been no answers given to the significant questions that Mr Mackay asked so at this moment in time you cannot factually back up your statement that Significant economic benefits are coming to Wick.
I hope there are economic benefits coming into the county but right now there is no proof that work will flow to Wick and if it does how many jobs will result from it.

Significant economic benefits COULD be coming to Wick.Now that is telling the truth.

[Rheghead]

How much economic benefit? Er...some. That's OK then, on yer go!

The adjective used in the article was significant.

[drwho]

Hello, Just to clarify Wick Sports Shop is not closing down. This is the first that we have heard of it, but apparently the rumour is rife around the town, hence the need for us to post that we are not closing. Have just received new stock for Spring and Summer and having placed orders for football, rugby and swimming gear, its business as usual!

[Errogie]

I thought I saw a tumble weed skirling down Bridge Street.... Ghost town is a term that's too easy to trot out. The place where you live is more than a centre for retail therapy it's about people and community and necessary as they are it doesn't have to revolve around shops.