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

Council / Council working to change government’s mindset on fixed links

Photo: SIC

THE SIC has a massive fight on its hands to persuade Scottish ministers of their moral duty to provide fixed links in island communities, according to the council’s head of transport planning Michael Craigie.

Legally, in Scotland, it is the duty of local authorities to provide transport links. In addition, the methodology and rule book for approving national transport projects is heavily skewed against rural and islands areas.

Craigie was updating community councillors at a meeting of the Association of Shetland Community Councils (ASCC) on Tuesday night.

He said a first meeting of a new fixed links group earlier this month, bringing together representatives from Scottish island local authorities, was a first step in the right direction, but he warned that it had taken island councils seven years to finally get the government to accept the case for fair ferry funding.

New fixed links group holds ‘extremely constructive’ first meeting

Craigie was closely questioned by Whalsay community councillor William Polson, a fierce critic of the council’s performance in providing the island with future transport solutions.

Polson said that previous calculations showing that over a 60 year timespan it would be cheaper to run ferries than building tunnels was based on what he called false information.

Craigie responded that the council had no choice but to follow the government’s rule book (the so-called Green Book) when making the technical and financial case for infrastructure projects. And that is, he said, “the core of the problem”.

Lerwick community councillor, and former council leader, Gary Robinson, described the approach as “insensitive” towards island and rural needs.

Craigie said it is not that the council does not want to build fixed links. The job at hand right now, however, was to overcome existing “bureaucratic barriers” and to get government to grasp the benefits of such investments for island areas.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

 

“Government makes the point to us again and again that it is our responsibility in the islands to provide our own transport links as they are legally ours,” he said.

“So we have a lot of work to do in making the case to them to the point where they take it up as they did with the fair funding for the ferries. We spent six/seven years building the case for that (…) until we broke through and succeeded.

“We got that same journey with fixed links. It’s not just about the technical side of things, it’s also about hearts and minds, and the understanding being raised at different levels for them [the government] to start working on how to adjust design standards, how to get a different approach to procurement, (…) all of which add millions and millions of pounds to the cost, which are then picked up in the appraisal process, and that’s why they fail every time because, on paper, they are more expensive than continuing with the ferries.”

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.

 

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.