Victoria Pier is ‘working quayside’ says LPA after parking comments
LERWICK Port Authority (LPA) has explained the situation around Victoria Pier closures and a perceived lack of parking in the town when the pier is shut.
An LPA spokesperson said that the pier is a working quayside and can only be made available for car parking on days when it is not required for essential marine operations.
And it said, as a statutory harbour authority, providing public parking is not under its remit.
It comes after the Lerwick Community Council (LCC) decided on Monday night to write to the LPA about a perceived lack of parking on days when Victoria Pier is closed.
Community councillor Amanda Hawick claimed that there was a growing lack of space in Lerwick on days when the pier parking was shut, and said it was only going to get worse as more cruise ships visited Shetland.
She also claimed that the LPA was “displacing more than 100 cars” when it shut Victoria Pier.
In response, the LPA explained that Victoria Pier had to be closed on days when it was required to provide essential marine operations.
“The temporary closure of these spaces is only required for certain operations, where the pier must operate within strict safety and security requirements.
“For clarity, when Victoria Pier is made available for parking, there are 64 spaces plus two EV charging points and three disabled bays.”
Hawick, who is also chairwoman of Shetland Tourism Association (STA), said the the LPA had written to the organisation about issues with people parking on or near roads in the town.
However she said they had told the LPA that it was “not an enforcement agency”.
Explaining the situation, an LPA spokesperson said they had written to a number of organisations – including the STA – about issues with parking near Victoria Pier.
It said that the STA’s membership included independent tour operators, and it had sought “their cooperation in communicating that the junction at Victoria Pier is not a suitable location for passenger pick-up and drop-off due to safety concerns”.
In response to Hawick’s comments about the situation deteriorating in years to come, the LPA spokesperson responded: “Forward bookings for cruise ship calls remain positive.
“However, they do not indicate any significant increase in cruise traffic over the coming years.”
Lerwick Community Council agreed on Monday to write to the LPA about parking in the town following Hawick’s concerns.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
