Councillors take another step towards tunnels
A tunnel to Yell has been picked as the priority – with the Scottish Government pledging £23m over the coming years for pre-construction work
SHETLAND Islands Council (SIC) has taken another step towards the idea of tunnels after elected members approved an inter-island transport connectivity route map.
This route map, which does not commit the council to construction or project delivery, places a tunnel to Yell as the priority when it comes to fixed links.
Consultants say a tunnel across Yell Sound, which could cost more than £500 million, could be constructed by 2034 – with hopes for one to Unst then following after.
The long-standing question of how it would be financed remains, but the council’s decision today (Wednesday) paves the way for more engagement with potential funders.
However SIC chief executive Maggie Sandison confirmed that funding previously proposed from the Scottish Government for inter-island connectivity – worth £23 million over the next three years – still stands after the recent election. This would enable the council to undertake pre-construction work on a tunnel.
Shetland MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad, of the SNP, said the Scottish Government’s new ‘islands accelerator’ funding model “represents a real opportunity” to support tunnels, but she also called on the UK Government to “play its part” too.
She said the Scottish Government funding for pre-construction work will “push this ambitious project forward to fruition”.
The implementation route map also includes a number of ferry replacements elsewhere in the network.
All options are subject to further detailed development through the next stages of business case work. There is a warning, however, that options for routes may need to be revised if “affordability constraints cannot be resolved”.
If the required funding is secured, the route map could see plans progress for two subsea tunnels and eight new inter-island ferries.
A priority for replacement ferries is Bluemull Sound, despite the desire for a tunnel to Unst, given the age and condition of the existing vessels.
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Among the other priorities are replacements for Whalsay’s Hendra and the Papa Stour vessel Snolda, which are both ageing.
Fixed links for Bressay and Whalsay will be considered in a subsequent cycle of asset investment, potentially in around a decade’s time.
At Wednesday’s meeting councillors were clear in their view that it was a milestone moment for inter-island connectivity – and one of the biggest decisions made in the chamber in years.
There was also a hope among some that the UK Government may look to follow in Scotland’s footsteps and provide funding for pre-construction work on a tunnel to Unst, given the national importance of the island’s SaxaVord Spaceport.
It comes after the UK Government recently confirmed it will provide £30 million to the spaceport to boost its plans for launches.
The council, however, warned it was “important to reiterate that substantial and sustained external funding will be required” for connectivity projects – not just for tunnels – and that the pace of implementation “will be almost entirely dependent on securing this funding”.
A Yell Sound fixed link has been prioritised because it would benefit the largest number of people, opening up mainland Shetland to the people of Yell, Unst and Fetlar, consultants Stantec said.
It would also be an advantage for the aquaculture industry in Yell, as well as SaxaVord Spaceport.
SIC development director Neil Grant said Yell had the highest cost benefit ratio when it came to tunnels.
Stantec’s Stephen Canning meanwhile said the route map assumed that tunnels to Yell and Unst would be constructed concurrently, but with Yell starting first.
Under this assumption, he said a Yell tunnel could be finished in 2034, with an Unst one then completed in 2036.
Given there has not been any new ferries introduced to the fleet since 2004, Canning said a lot of investment is required over the coming years regarding vessels – with a need to be “realistic” over what can be achieved.
The SIC’s inter-island connectivity programme manager Louise Shearer said a more detailed delivery plan is expected to come to councillors next month to support the transition into implementation.
There is also ongoing work regarding developing a strategic environmental assessment.
During questioning, council chief Sandison confirmed that the Scottish Government still intends to make available £23 million over the next three years to resource work up to the point of construction – which, following today’s decision, would be on a tunnel to Yell.
This includes £3 million in 2027/28, £10 million in 2028/29 and another £10 million in 2029/30.
Grant said a business case for Yell could involve two years of investigation work, and another year of procurement.
Sandison said while this work is ongoing the council would continue to explore funding for a tunnel to Unst – with Sandison herself highlighting the island’s nationally strategic location for the space industry.
The chief executive also warned that dividing the funding from government between projects would be a “real risk” and instead said it was “critical” to focus on one.
Sandison confirmed that the SIC has argued that the Scottish Government’s island accelerator model could be used to support ferry replacements, with further meetings planned on this.
During debate, SIC leader Emma Macdonald said reaching the decision point was thanks to the work of “everybody in Shetland”.
She said there has been a real shift in the mood around the idea of tunnels in Shetland.
Environment and transport committee chair Moraig Lyall said that the SIC has only taken a few steps on a long journey – “but we’re making progress”.
She welcomed the confirmation about the government funding for pre-construction work, and highlighted that the topic is making it onto the “national agenda”.
She was among the councillors highlighting the national importance of a tunnel to Unst, with development committee chairman Dennis Leask saying a fixed link could help SaxaVord reach its full potential.
He was also of the view that once one tunnel is built, the rest may follow.
Davie Sandison, meanwhile stressed the importance of the ferry network and its resilience.
“We need to keep a focus on what is critical to our islands,” he said.
North Isles councillor Duncan Anderson also said he was relieved to hear that improvements to the ferry service are planned, given he had to “make a booking weeks ago to get here on a 40-year-old ferry”.
He also shared the hope that once one tunnel is constructed the rest will follow.
Anderson’s ward colleague Robert Thomson, meanwhile, became emotional when he spoke about the impact long-awaited infrastructure projects can have on folk in the islands – with his example being a pier and breakwater in Fetlar.
He said he hoped if work got underway on a tunnel “I might still be around to see it […] but hopefully there will be a few folk that turns out for that”.
In a statement released during the meeting, Shetland MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad said: “I am delighted that the SNP Scottish Government has given Shetland the financial support we need for the next vital stage in turning our tunnel vision into tunnel reality.
“I’ve always said that tunnels need three things: an understanding of geology, good engineering, and smart finance. Today the SNP government is delivering on the third aspect, which will push this ambitious project forward to fruition.
“This is a truly historic day – this will be transformative for Shetland’s future. Throughout my campaign, and since being elected as your MSP, I have made connectivity my number one priority, and the announcement today is part of delivering on my promise to push for improved transport connections across our islands.
“Budgets across the board are obviously extremely challenging, but the government clearly recognises the incredible opportunity for economic growth and reversing population decline across Shetland, with the opportunities which will come with tunnels.
“Shetland is once again leading the way for the rest of Scotland; when we demonstrate that tunnels work here, other islands and coastal areas will follow. I said we would deliver on this and today we have – Scotland is becoming a tunnelling nation.”
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