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Pete Bevington
2 February, 2010
COUNCILLORS in Shetland shocked islanders on Tuesday by once
again delaying a decision to spend £26 million on new
terminals and a ferry for the island of Whalsay.
Instead members voted to spend six months
speaking to Norwegian engineers after local fishermen
presented evidence that a tunnel to the island could be
built for around £35 million.
Shetland Islands Council’s infrastructure committee today
(Tuesday) was expected to resolve a row that has embroiled
the 1,000 strong Whalsay community for the past few years.
Whalsay is desperate for new ferry terminals and a new ferry
because the existing infrastructure will only last another
five years, and the current boats are not big enough to meet
local demand.
Last November most of the island backed plans to build a new
ferry terminal at North Voe, however the council delayed a
decision after local fishermen came up with an alternative
scheme for the South Voe, where the existing terminal lies.
A detailed study of the new option revealed it was unsafe in
certain weather conditions, however now a new alternative
has been presented.
Fishermen consulted a Norwegian tunnelling
consultant Per Arne Moen, who suggested a |
tunnel could be built for around £35 million. These
figures were given to councillors who argued that they
should at least be investigated.
However UK tunnel consultant Andrew Sloan
drilled holes in the Norwegian figures, saying that the
eventual cost was likely to more than three times that
figure.
Local councillor and former Whalsay fishing skipper Josie
Simpson pulled out of the debate and refused to vote on an
issue which has split his native island community.
Instead fellow north isles councillor Laura Baisley gave an
impassioned plea for the council to back plans for a
terminal at North Voe.
“This is no time to be dithering about wasting more time. We
have to make a decision today. It will always be
controversial, but the people of Whalsay were wanting a
decision to be made to put them out of this agony they are
going through,” she said.
However Mrs Baisley only garnered five votes, compared to
the 13 who backed councillor Alastair Cooper’s motion to
defer for six months to investigate the tunnel option.
Mr Cooper said: “I believe in doing so we will deal with the
disunity that exists on Whalsay.
"Fifty years ago they were
arguing about the north or south voe. Are we going to have
another 50 years of falling out? We don’t want a 100 years
war on Whalsay.” See
also letters:
A waste of time and money &
Not surprised |
