Thursday 28 March 2024
 6.9°C   NE Moderate Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

News / SIC reiterates funding call after HIAL meeting

The Sumburgh Airport car park. Photo: Hans J Marter/Shetland News

SHETLAND Islands Council officials have reiterated their call for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) to be “properly funded” by the Scottish Government after holding fresh talks on controversial plans to introduce a car parking charge at Sumburgh Airport.

Council representatives met members of HIAL in Lerwick on Wednesday afternoon to discuss its plans to charge people £3 a day to park at its Sumburgh, Kirkwall and Stornoway airports.

Councillors previously requested that the plans – which are scheduled to be implemented on 1 July – be formally halted to allow an impact assessment to be carried out.

Work on erecting vehicle barriers at Sumburgh, however, has already been stopped temporarily due to concerns raised by the council over road safety.

HIAL says the charge is “based upon our need for continued investment in our facilities and associated services to ensure they remain fit for purpose for airlines and passengers alike.”

Speaking after the meeting, council leader Steven Coutts said the talks were “constructive and achieved a better understanding of the constraints of HIAL’s operations and their challenges of maintaining 11 airports”.

“Sumburgh’s growth is a success story and has reduced its call on subsidy. The airport is our lifeline link and we believe HIAL should be properly funded to maintain the operation for island residents,” he added.

Transport committee chairman Ryan Thomson added: “We call on our transport and islands minister to ensure that with the passing of the islands bill into law, he will ensure that the HIAL subsidy distribution is ‘island-proofed’.”

It is believed that the charge is now unlikely to go ahead from the start of July, however, due to the concerns over road safety.

HIAL previously admitted that it is looking into moving the location of the proposed barriers.

It is understood that plans for the barriers may have to go through either the local authority’s planning committee or the full council, potentially causing a further delay to the process.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

 

Following Wednesday’s meeting, HIAL managing director Inglis Lyon said: “I think both sides understand each other’s position much more clearly after our meeting and I am grateful to Shetland Islands Council for their time today.

“We will continue our ongoing dialogue with council officers around technical issues to ensure a mutually satisfactory resolution.”

The meeting between the council and HIAL went on for longer than expected – so much so that Lyon is said to have missed his flight back to Inverness.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 
Categories

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.