Bakkafrost’s Scalpay accommodation plan raises local concerns.
Faroese-owned salmon producer Bakkafrost has lodged a planning application to build 14 accommodation units and a welfare centre at its base at Cuddy Point, Scalpay, according to a report by The Stornoway Gazette.
The development would support five fish farms in the area, servicing three existing farms and two new sites at Scadabay and Geocrab. While additional investment and jobs have been welcomed, concerns have been raised locally about the lack of consultation and the potential economic impact if most workers are imported from the mainland.
Scalpay Community Council has requested a meeting with the company for more information, while local councillor Kenny Macleod noted that residents were not individually notified due to the location and highlighted broader worries about the plan’s contribution to the local economy.
Because of a previous cyberattack, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s online planning portal does not display full application details, requiring residents to visit council offices in person to view documentation.
Bakkafrost told The Gazette that the accommodation is part of its strategy to address recruitment challenges, offering housing and flexible shift patterns to support employee work-life balance. However, the proposal has sparked wider debate over the future use of temporary accommodation within the Scottish salmon farming sector.