Thursday 27 February 2025
 6.4°C   SW Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

News / Scalloway dredging plans adjusted

PLANS TO dredge the entrance to Scalloway harbour to a depth of 9.5 metre have been abandoned after it emerged that the plans was unaffordable.

Instead, members of the Shetland Islands Council’s harbour board agreed to dredge a 90 metre wide entrance channel to a depth of 8.5 metre at a cost of around £2.5 million.

The additional metre in depth would have cost an extra £1.5 to £2 million, the board heard.

Members expressed disappointment that their initial aspirations were outwith the board’s financial capabilities. A budget of £3 million had been approved for the 2010/11 capital programme.

The project is only to dredge the entrance channel, deepening the harbours’ piers and quaysides to a corresponding depth are not included.

The meeting was told that most vessels wanting to use the Westside harbour would be able to do so once the entrance is dredged to a depth of 8.5 metre.

Councillor Betty Fullerton said: “This is very disappointing, but 8.5 metres is better than doing nothing. We have to stick to our budget.

“This will facilitate by far the largest amount of ships calling at Scalloway”, she said.

Board chairman Alastair Cooper added that a channel depth of 8.5 metres would also be beneficial to the vessels serving the emerging marine renewables industry.

Board member Jim Tait said he would have liked to see an economic assessment of the perceived benefits of the project before making a decision on the way forward, but was told by board chairman Mr Cooper that the study would be available at the next harbour board meeting, in six weeks time.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local 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.

£150
£200
£250
£300
£350
£15
£20
£25
£30
£35
£30
£35
£40
£45
£50
£140
£160
£180
£200
£220
 
Categories
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Audience Survey for Shetland News

Tell us what you think and win £100!

This survey is run by a UK charity, the Public Interest News Foundation. We exist to support independent news providers.

Your answers will power important research. We will share aggregated and anonymous answers with your news provider. And we will produce an overarching UK-wide report, which will be available on our website.

To enter the £100 prize draw, complete the survey and enter your email at the end.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.
£150
£200
£250
£300
£350
£15
£20
£25
£30
£35
£30
£35
£40
£45
£50
£140
£160
£180
£200
£220