News / Ground investigations completed, NHS winter funding, new Lerwick app launched
WIND farm developer Viking Energy says its extensive programme of ground investigations across the site for the planned 103-turbine has been successfully completed.
Over the last four months specialist company BAM Ritches and local sub-contractor Frank L Johnston (FLJ) were involved in drilling a large number of exploratory boreholes and excavating trial pits.
All six temporary met masts which have been recording wind speeds across the site for many years have also now been removed.
The drilling cores and all other data will now be analysed to aid ongoing wind farm design work, a Viking Energy spokesperson said.
The company, run by SSE Renewables, insists it is committed to the 457 MW project despite failing to attract any government subsidy under the Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanism earlier this year.
NHS SHETLAND is to receive £47,000 in extra winter funding from the Scottish Government to help ease what they call “seasonal pressures”.
It is part of a £10 million funding allocation to all health boards which was announced by health secretary Jeanne Freeman on Monday.
The government said the additional money would help to ensure that there are appropriate levels of staffing in place across the whole system to patients are cared for at the right place at the right time and as close to home as possible.
NHS Shetland director of nursing and acute services Kathleen Carolan said: “The funding allocated for winter pressures will be used to provide additional support for patients to safely discharge from hospital and return home.
“We will have healthcare support workers employed to help co-ordinate patients who are ready for discharge with personal care, organising transport and medicines etc as well as liaising with family and carers.
“We hope this will help to reduce the amount of time patients spend on the last day in hospital waiting for transport etc as that will be co-ordinated by an single support worker. We will be testing how well this works during the winter months.”
THE MANY stories behind Lerwick’s town centre have come alive in a new app which was launched by Living Lerwick at an event at the tourist centre on Monday afternoon.
The Discover Lerwick app was developed by the town centre marketing organisation with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Shetland Islands Council.
Researched by Pat Christie and built by NB Communication, the new app had input from a number of local business owners, past tenants of ‘Da Street’ and those with an interest in the history of the town centre.
The app is free to download from the Play Store or App Store.
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