More delays for Whalsay
WHALSAY must wait another month before Shetland Islands Council decides whether it can afford to build a tunnel to the island.
Councillors had initially hoped to call a special meeting of the SIC’s infrastructure
committee on 19 March to make a decision on the future of Whalsay’s transport links.
Last month councillors postponed a decision on a new ferry terminal for the island after some islanders claimed a seven kilometre tunnel could be built for as little as £35 million.
Earlier this month, a seven strong SIC delegation travelled to Glasgow to consult with Norwegian tunnel specialists, who had quoted lower prices than their UK counterparts.
Those discussions revealed that a tunnel to Whalsay could be drilled for a price of arounf £70 million to £80 million.
This compares to a £26 million bill for one new ferry and three new ferry terminals at Laxo, Vidlin and North Voe.
Yesterday (Tuesday) the council’s infrastructure committee chairwoman Iris Hawkins said the Glasgow meeting had been “comprehensive and useful”.
However she regretted that a decision making meeting could now not take place before the middle of April, because the Norwegians were unable to come to Shetland on 19 March.
Whalsay councillor Josie Simpson asked her to firm up a date as soon as possible.
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