Two new island fire stations saved
THE AXE hanging over the future of the fire stations on the Shetland islands of Fair isle and Whalsay has been removed.
On Monday the Highlands and Islands fire board agreed not to pull the plug on contracts to build new fire stations on the two islands.
Shetland councillors Allison Duncan and Alastair Cooper lobbied their fellow board members hard and won agreement for the two projects to go ahead.
Work will now commence on the £160,000 Fair Isle project to be carried out by local firm Ness Engineering, who won the contract last year prior to cutback proposals being announced.
Work will also carry on to complete the Whalsay fire station as £200,000 has the board has already spent £200,000 of the £260,000 contract.
Chief fire officer Trevor Johnson had hoped to save £375,000 from the fire service budget by mothballing or cancelling four Shetland capital projects.
Mr Cooper said the board agreed to continue with the two fire stations because it didn’t make sense to stop and the community really needed them.
Plans to spend £70,000 upgrading the Bressay fire station currently run out of an agricultural shed or spending £120,000 building a new fire station in Walls are less likely to proceed.
Keep Shetland’s news open to everyone
Your membership helps us report the stories that matter to Shetland — and keep them free for everyone to read.
Already a member? Sign in.
