SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst has unveiled a plan for 32 temporary modular units to support visiting launch teams and operational staff, down from an original 80-unit proposal. 

Two new applications covering a timespan of five years have now been submitted to Shetland Islands Council planners by Groves-Raines Architects Studios.

One application is for nine modular units at the former games court, south of Nordabrake, Unst; the other is for a further 23 at a nearby site.

Most of the cabins proposed have a floor area of 29 square metres. They feature a sleeping room as well as a kitchenette and a bathroom.

According to the design statement, the cabins at both sites are arranged in a circular formation, creating a protected courtyard.

The sites will be accessed via the existing private road, which will be connected via footpaths. No new car parking is proposed as part of the development, as existing car parking within the spaceport site will be used.

All 23 cabins proposed for the other site are of the larger size. It will also be connected via an existing private road, which will be extended to serve the site. Again, no new parking has been proposed.

The statement claims both developments represent “considered, proportionate, and reversible intervention”, which is appropriate for their temporary nature.

“It supports the operational needs of the SaxaVord site while respecting local landscape character and environmental conditions,” the plans state.