24 March, 2007

SHETLAND Amenity Trust says its plans to move shingle from a west side beach to Lerwick are environmentally friendly.

The trust has applied to Shetland Islands Council for planning permission to uplift 140 tonnes of shingle from the Dale of Walls to create a beach at the restored Hay's Dock, Lerwick, outside the new museum which is due to open shortly.

Project manager John Mackenzie said: "One of the finishing touches of the project is to create a beach at Hay's Dock.

"Unfortunately there are no approvals in place to extract shingle from any beach on Shetland.

"We can go and buy stuff from south if we have to, but that would not be very environmentally friendly and miss the Shetland touch.

"The Dale o' Walls beach is a place we feel we can take shingle from without damaging the environment. The owners and neighbours are happy for us to do so."

The trust is now waiting for permission to be granted so the beach can be in place before the grand opening of the museum and archives, at the end of May.