Subsidising Lerwick?
I, like many in the North Mainland and Isles am increasingly concerned about the recent conversations surrounding the future of the Brae hockey pitch.
The very idea that the argument for the closure of the pitch in Brae and the construction of one in Lerwick is one of financial savings is risible.
If the Shetland Islands Council truly were concerned with cutting expenditure, the sum of almost two million pounds would have never been approved for the geographic modelling and surveys as well as the numerous consultancy reports – relating to the ambitions around future fixed links development.
This is not to say fixed links should not go ahead, the opposite. It is a call to accept the fiscal reality, the Shetland Islands Council cannot afford it.
Any project of the magnitude of fixed links would have to be heavily if not fully subsidised and funded by a central government body. What we are seeing in the case of the Brae hockey pitch is clear to me and it is clear to many of you.
It is the further centralisation of Shetland’s amenities and leisure facilities to Lerwick. If the Shetland (‘Lerwick’) Recreational Trust does in fact go through with and allows the transfer of ownership of the hockey pitch to the Shetland Islands Council, leading to its closure – it would act as a betrayal to the people of the North Mainland and Isles.
I do not however believe the blame should be held with the trust on its own. I respect and understand the budget constraints within the trust have contributed to arriving at this situation. What I do not respect however is the Shetland Islands Council leveraging the trust’s budget shortfall to force a centralisation agenda.
Over the past few years the people of Shetland, not just Lerwick, have faced an ever increasing council tax burden. Many of these people are seeing their local facilities close, while they are paying more and more.
Many, rightly so will now be asking, why? Why are we paying more for less? More so, why are we paying more to subsidise Lerwick?
Danny C. Parker
Delting
