Total’s giant dormitory goes on display

OIL giant Total are holding a public meeting in Shetland this month to display their plans for a huge accommodation block to house up to 800 construction workers.

The French company hope to start work this month on building their £500 million gas processing plant at Sullom Voe that will receive the first commercial gas from the fields lying west of Shetland in the inhospitable north Atlantic.

The plant is due to open in 2014, but by 2012 the company expects the number of staff on the construction site could be reaching peak levels.

To accommodate them, they plan to build temporary living quarters with leisure facilities at the council-owned Sella Ness industrial estate, opposite the existing oil terminal run by BP.

As well as dormitory facilities, the self contained block will contain a canteen, recreation area, reading room, gymnasium, computer room/internet café, medics room, convenience store, laundry room, prayer room and a bar.

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Parking facilities will be contained within the site boundary together with pick up and drop off facilities for workers going to and from work on site.

Total’s consultants Archial Planning will hold an all day session in Brae public hall, five miles from the site, to consult with local people about the plans on 25 May.

A day time session will run between 10am and 4pm where the plans will be on display and the designers will be available to discuss the project. An evening session will run from 6pm to 8pm, with a presentation scheduled for 7pm.

A Total spokeswoman said: “This is part of a series of public meetings we are having relating to the whole project and this one is to highlight awareness of the temporary accommodation facilities. Part of the planning process is to consult with the community.”

Any comments made during the consultation will be recorded and written comments can be submitted direct to Archial Planning until 9 June by sending them to Mr Roger Laird, Archial Planning, 3 Bon Accord Crescent, Aberdeen AB11 6XH or emailing rlaird@archialgroup.com.

A further opportunity to submit comments can be made when the plans are submitted to Shetland Islands Council’s planning authority.