Thursday 28 March 2024
 7°C   E Moderate Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

News / Politicians call for parking charge to be dropped after Sumburgh growth revealed

Sumburgh Airport car park (stock photo) Photo: Shetland News

ISLES MSP Tavish Scott and the chairman of Shetland Islands Council’s (SIC) transport committee has called for the proposed Sumburgh Airport car parking charge to be scrapped.

Their demand comes after operator Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) released annual figures that revealed Sumburgh has had the biggest growth in passenger numbers of any of the company’s 11 airports.

Scott and SIC transport man Ryan Thomson also accused HIAL of looking to use the well-performing Sumburgh to subsidise its other airports.

A spokesman for HIAL said on Monday that its position remains the same and that it is continuing its plans to introduce the £3 a day parking fee at Sumburgh.

HIAL announced earlier this year plans to introduce the charge at its Sumburgh, Kirkwall and Stornoway airports from 1 July.

While the fee was implemented on time at the latter two airports, the levy has not yet been introduced in Shetland as the work was re-routed through the planning process following discussions with the council.

However, after the news that Sumburgh enjoyed 63,781 more passengers in the 2017/18 than the previous year, Scott and Thomson said the charge should be called off.

“Sumburgh’s strength only serves to highlight weaknesses elsewhere,” they said in a joint statement.

“As passenger numbers rise in Shetland they fall elsewhere. As we know from HIAL’s own figures, Sumburgh Airport makes an operating profit. It is the only airport across the HIAL network, including Dundee and Inverness, to make a profit.

“So why should Shetlanders subsidise Dundee and Inverness Airports by paying to park at our lifeline airport that is 25 miles from Lerwick without any dedicated public transport alternative?”

The pair added that they want to see Scottish islands minister Paul Wheelhouse, who is in Shetland today (Monday) at an oil and gas event, to accept their “argument and tell HIAL to drop these unfair and unwarranted proposals.”

Become a supporter of Shetland News

 

Shetland Islands Council had previously called on HIAL to carry out an impact assessment before any charge was imposed.

The government-owned company had been criticised for announcing its car parking charge plans without any prior consultation.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We recognise that HIAL’s extension of car parking charges is necessary in order to fund the maintenance and improvement of facilities at their airports.

“While the financial situation dictates that car parking charges must be extended, HIAL has undertaken extensive consultation with stakeholders around the implementation of those charges.

“HIAL is non-profit making and the revenue raised from the parking charges will be directly reinvested in the airports. The Scottish Government provides significant subsidy to HIAL to support its activities which, in 2017-18, totalled over £26 million. This needs to be balanced, however, with a fair level of charges to customers – including airlines, passengers, and tenants – for the use of those services.”

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.