Navy

MoD Plans To Double Size Of Scottish Torpedo Range

The Scottish testing ground for Royal Navy submarines and their weapons and sonar systems could be doubled under confirmed plans being considered by the Ministry of Defence.

The British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC) range at Raasay is situated in the Inner Sound off the west coast of the Scottish Mainland.

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In operation since the 1970s and currently spanning 18 square miles the area is out of bounds to commercial fishermen, in part due to the firing of Royal Navy torpedoes.

In October last year a row erupted after local press in the Highlands carried a "Notice of Proposed New Bylaws for the Inner Sound", despite earlier assurances from the government that local people would be asked about the proposals.

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The SNP's Ian Blackford then called for an urgent parliamentary statement from the Defence Secretary. Last month he backed that up with a written question asking why economic impact assessments had not been carried out.

Mr Blackman is concerned that increasing the size of the ranges will result in a further loss of livelihood for around 140 local langoustine fishermen.

The Defence Under-Secretary Mark Lancaster has now confirmed that such an assessment will now be carried out due to the strength of public opinion.

He said: “When a change of activity, intensification of operations or a development proposal has been identified, the MoD assesses the non-statutory and statutory consenting processes that need to be considered and satisfied before work to implement such changes begins.

“As a matter of course, the MoD is not required to produce economic assessments as part of its byelaw review process. However, it is clear from the views submitted by the public and other stakeholders as part of the recent Butec byelaw public consultation that a socio-economic report is required and work to produce one is underway.”

In 2002 the alleged secret testing of a high-powered sonar device in the BUTEC area sparked controversy. Banned from being used by the US Navy due to causing potentially fatal damage to whales and dolphins a Low Frequency sonar test was conducted by the British defence technology company QinectiQ.