Devon firm wins Toft Pier contract

A MARINE engineering company from the south coast of England has been awarded a £2.4 million contract to redevelop the Toft Pier.

The contract has gone to Teignmouth Maritime Services Ltd from Devon after Shetland Islands Council put it out to tender.

Councillors recently approved plans to rebuild the pier at an overall cost of nearly £3 million, although one third will be covered by grant money from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

Two tenders were received for the replacement and development of the existing Toft Pier, one coming from a Shetland based business, with the contract weighted 80 per cent towards price and 20 per cent toward quality.

A spokesperson for Shetland Islands Council said: “Teignmouth Maritime Services Ltd. submitted the most economically advantageous tender in terms of price and quality.

“Both bids complied with conditions allowing the project to access external funding from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.”

Teignmouth Maritime Services Ltd has over 27 years experience as a marine contractor within civil engineering, with work undertaken across the UK and Europe.

There are hopes that aquaculture and fishing boats will return to a redeveloped Toft Pier.

It has been shut off for the last few years due to the deteriorating condition of the structure, with a pontoon set up to allow alternative berthing.

Usage of the pier by certain sectors, such as salmon and mussel farming, largely stopped after it was closed off to vehicles in 2014.

Councillors were told that work on the new Toft Pier could start this summer ahead of completion in late 2020.

The pier was built in the 1950s for the Yell ferry service and then rebuilt 20 years later. When a new ferry terminal at Toft was built in 2000, the ferry service stopped using the old pier.