Moray SNP News

MOD MUST BREAK SILENCE OVER MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION WORK AT LOSSIEMOUTH

COMMUNITY CONCERNS CONTINUE OVER WORKERS TRAVELLING IN AND OUT OF THE AREA

Richard Lochhead MSP has expressed his disappointment at the lack of communication and response from the MoD regarding workers travelling in and out of the area to carry out construction and maintenance work at RAF Lossiemouth.

Community groups and leaders in Lossiemouth, Elgin, Burghead and Hopeman, have contacted Mr Lochhead to express their serious concerns that contractors are travelling in and out of Moray from other parts of the UK, including Leister, Hampshire and the Midlands, as well as the Central Belt of Scotland.

Moray’s MSP welcomed the decision to stop roof maintenance on RAF houses on South Covesea Terrace last week, but he continues to contacted by constituents, workers and community groups concerned about work continuing on other projects.

Mr Lochhead has now written to the MoD three times calling for an open and transparent approach to be taken, by outlining to the community exactly what projects are being worked on and detailing why they are essential, but has not received a response.

Commenting Richard Lochhead MSP said:

“With every day that passes the anxiety in our local communities grows and the silence from the MoD is unacceptable. These are not normal times and it’s not business as usual even for our defence sector. Every measure that can be taken to make our communities feel safer and also protect workers should be taken without further delay. I can’t see how national security is going to be jeopardised by simply extending the temporary measures already in place at RAF Lossiemouth during the current work for a few additional weeks.

“RAF Lossiemouth needs to be a good neighbour in the community’s hour of need and I feel that the call for a halt to vans full of workers travelling back and forth from places like Leister to Lossiemouth, and elsewhere in Moray, should be heeded. Either the projects can be suspended for a few weeks and if this can’t be done then the workers housed behind the wire on the base provided they are protected with social distancing measures in place.”