News / Hjaltland invites LCC members to visit Staneyhill site over dust concerns
‘SIGNIFICANT steps’ continue to be taken to mitigate against dust affecting homes near the Staneyhill housing development site.
Developer Hjaltland Housing Association has strongly defended its approach to minimising dust pollution during the works, following ongoing criticism about the effect it is having on residents, homes and cars.
Concerns were raised at Monday’s Lerwick Community Council (LCC) meeting about the dust, with one member suggesting Hjaltland staff should visit the affected areas.
In response, Hjaltland chief executive Bryan Leask said that an “open invitation” had been made to LCC members to visit the site and see the suppression efforts first-hand.
Leask said that while some levels of dust were “unavoidable”, the developer and its principal contractors had a comprehensive strategy in place to minimise pollution.
“We accept that the prolonged duration of the contract will lead to a greater impact on some residents,” he said.
“We can assure them, and the wider public, that we have taken, and continue to take, significant steps to minimise dust arising from the site.”
The strategy had been created to reduce airborne particles “at every stage of the construction process”, he said, which was monitored daily by their on-site team.
They were also subject to unannounced inspections by council environmental health and planning officers, he added.
“The vast majority of bulk rock excavation and crushing on site has now been completed, with the infrastructure contract due for completion early in 2027,” the Hjaltland chief said.
“As work progresses, the soft landscaping and final layers of Bitmac will be completed, reducing the potential for wind borne dust from the site.”
Their current dust control measures included regular road treatment by spraying with water from bowsers, with treatment frequency increased during dry or high traffic periods, he said.
Mist cannons are also positioned at the stockpile area and used when required, Leask added.
He repeated a point Lerwick South councillor Dennis Leask made at Monday’s LCC meeting, that water mist is sometimes mistakenly reported as dust clouds.
Water jets are also used on rock crushing equipment, the Hjaltland chief executive said.
Alongside those primary measures, certain works are avoided during periods of inclement weather and loose material is covered when being transported to the site, he added.
In response to criticism that Hjaltland has not engaged well enough with the community, Leask said they had issued newsletters to neighbouring properties throughout the project.
“Information has been submitted to the Lerwick Community Council on request, and an open invitation remains in place for Lerwick Community Council members to visit the site to view the mitigation measures currently in operation,” he said.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding shown by the community during this challenging phase of construction.
“The Staneyhill development will deliver much needed new homes for Lerwick and Shetland, with the first 32 due to start on site in June, and we are determined to ensure that the process of building them is carried out responsibly, transparently, and with due consideration to the surrounding community.”
Shetland Islands Council was accused this week of “fobbing off” the LCC after it raised concerns about the development.
LCC wrote to the council’s environmental health department in March to question ongoing dust levels from the site, where work to build 32 new homes is set to start in June.
Lerwick North and Bressay councillor Gary Robinson, who lives near to the Staneyhill development site, said there was “no question” that a large amount of dust was being created.
“Anyone with a black car in Norstane, Voderview or Burnside can tell you that you could wash it three times a week, and it would still be dirty,” he added.
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