Sutherland Spaceport Developers Experience a New Wave of Povlsen’s Confrontation

The owner of the Bestseller company and the richest man in Scotland, Anders Holch Povlsen, and his wife Anne keep expressing their protest against Spaceport Sutherland.

Sutherland Spaceport High Expectations and Recurring Difficulties

The Sutherland Spaceport is planned to be finally opened in 2022, and many British companies hope that it will happen. The world community is watching the British attempts to launch from their own soil, but the Povlsens are still throwing sand in the wheels of Spaceport Sutherland.

Wildland Opposes the HIE Bird Survey

This time, controversy on the A’Mhoine peninsula is the bird survey that is a part of the Sutherland Spaceport planning process. The disagreement was expressed by Wildland Ltd., a company that belongs to Anders Holch Povlsen. This organisation aims to rewild the Highlands and has a 200-year view on how to do so. When HIE reached out to them and asked to cooperate, Wildland refused. Their point is that Highland and Islands Enterprise, responsible for building the Hub and all the research connected to it, had to conduct all needed bird investigations before they got the construction permit. Moreover, HIE claimed they did it, according to the Wildland spokesperson. Plus, the initial plan for Sutherland Spaceport has been changed, and Wildland has doubts that it will be acceptable to all the parties.

Spaceport Sutherland Surveys: Counter Arguments

The HIE spokesperson, in turn, counters that the Spaceport Sutherland plan is backed by four years of research, and this survey is only a part of their constant work to preserve the wildlife in the Sutherland Spaceport area. He claims it is essential and that bird breeding processes won’t be disturbed by the ongoing working process. Fortunately, both parties have some time to settle this issue before Spaceport Sutherland becomes the first British inland launch hub.