“Shetland Pony1” by Nick – originally posted to Flickr as Shetland Pony. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons

Shetland council has rejected plans for an Italian restaurant overlooking Olna Firth because customers would have to drive to the venue – thereby increasing the island’s carbon footprint and contributing to climate change. Let’s hope the British government are so scrupulous – MPs today (16 December) will vote on whether to allow fracking under national parks like the Lake District as long as the gas is extracted in another location.

Just think, an island community of around 20,000 people is more concerned about the ill effects of jumping in their cars to go out for a meal on a Friday night than the UK government is about drilling for gas in our country’s most beautiful landscapes. It rather boggles the mind.

The businessman behind the planning application for the Italian restaurant has said he will appeal the decision. Henry MacColl still hopes to build the 24-seater eatery two miles north of the village of Voe at Parkgate.