Walls pier work stops

WORK on building a new pier at walls has been halted until April next year due to “resourcing difficulties”, Shetland Islands Council announced on Tuesday.

Capital programme executive manager Robert Sinclair said work had fallen significantly behind and that would be difficult to reverse with the onset of poor winter weather.

“We intend to start work again in April and that will give some time to consider how best to proceed,” he said.

Work on the new pier began in April 2011, when the contract was awarded to Inverness-based Airport Civil Engineering Ltd.

Managing director Martin Anderson said the delays were caused by a shortage of skilled labour with the amount of construction work currently going on in Shetland.

“It seems sensible, under the circumstances, to stop work while the situation is resolved,” he said.

SIC harbour board chairman Robert Henderson said he had been concerned about progress on the new pier for some time.

“Having discussed the current situation with the officers that are dealing with the project, I’m confident that the necessary steps are being taken to ensure that work will resume again as soon as possible,” he said.