Whalsay furious about tunnel decision

THE ISLAND of Whalsay is up in arms about a council decision to delay plans to build a new ferry terminal while it researches the viability of a five mile tunnel linking it to the Shetland mainland.

Whalsay community council has written to every member of Shetland Islands Council voicing their “disappointment” at a decision to investigate the tunnel option.

Following an extended consultation exercise, a large majority repeatedly came down in favour of building a new ferry terminal at North Voe rather than replacing the existing terminal at Symbister.

However on 2 February when councillors were invited to back the findings of the consultation, they voted by 13 to five to spend six months assessing the viability of a tunnel, which is likely to cost more than £110 million.

In their letter, the community council say they have been “inundated with phone calls, emails and letters from very aggrieved members of the public” and that the consultation exercise was “farcical”.

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They say islanders were told the consultation period was over, that tunnels were not on the agenda and a decision had to be made rapidly due to the frailty of the existing infrastructure.

“However, irrespective of what was said at the final consultation meeting in December, it appears that, the lobbying never stopped. A very small group of the community have continued to pursue their goal of not having the terminal sited in the North Voe,” the letter states.

“The outrage, unhappiness and sense of betrayal felt when the outcome of the meeting…was heard cannot be underestimated.

“The decision taken at the infrastructure committee meeting has made the consultation process farcical. At this stage to allow another option to be thrown in for consideration was truly disappointing. It is yet further prevarication on the part of the council.”

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Councillors meet this morning (Wednesday) when they will have an option to reconsider the earlier decision.

North isles member Laura Baisley, who led the call for a terminal to be built at North Voe, said she hoped that her colleagues would back her today.

“A lot of my colleagues will have been inundated with representations from people on Whalsay making it very clear how they feel and I think that those that thought they were doing the right thing will have changed their minds by now,” she said.