Housing / Call for pressure on government over Knab housing funding
SHETLAND Islands Council’s (SIC) depute leader Gary Robinson has called for pressure to be applied on the Scottish Government over funding for the local authority’s Knab redevelopment project.
Timelines for developing the former Anderson High School site had slipped after the government advised housing funding would be reduced over the coming years.
However there was something of a U-turn from the SNP government in its draft 2025/26 budget, which was published in December and had been boosted by extra cash from Westminster.
The budget included £768 million for affordable homes in 2025/26, which the government said would mean spending would return to a higher level than it was two years ago.
The Knab redevelopment, which also stands to receive nearly £10 million from the Scottish Government from the islands growth deal, got a mention at a meeting of the full SIC on Wednesday.
Leader Emma Macdonald said the detail of the improved housing funding in the budget is “still unclear at this stage” and is likely to remain that way until the government’s spending plans are approved “hopefully early next year”.
Robinson added: “I wonder if it would be possible to actually put some pressure on the Scottish Government to provide funding for the Knab site?
“The spending power of the money that’s in the islands deal is being eroded all the time, and if we could get money sooner rather than later from the Scottish Government then that might be helpful in bringing this project forward.”
Macdonald noted how government politicians visited the Knab site when the government recently held the Convention of the Highlands and Islands in Lerwick.
Responding to Robinson’s suggestion, she said it was something the SIC could go back to the government on.
The Shetland North councillor added that regarding the budget that hopefully “there may be ways to utilise” some of the extra funding that was announced.
Development committee chairman Dennis Leask meanwhile said the Knab project is starting to see some progress.
He said a contract for enabling infrastructure work is out to tender, while plans to turn the Janet Courtney Hostel into flats is at the design stage.
Leask also said the Bruce Hostel will be able to go on the market fairly shortly.
He added that it had been “disappointing” that the government had previously indicated less housing funding would be coming Shetland’s way, but added that the SIC needs to await the outcome of the budget process.
Demolition work on the site is already completed, with three listed buildings plus the school’s science block remaining. It is estimated that around 140 houses could be built on the site.
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