News / In brief – 8 March 2010
Fisherman airlifted
A CREW member from the Banff registered fishing boat Uberous was airlifted by helicopter to the Gilbert Bain Hospital, in Lerwick, on Saturday lunchtime.
The vessel was 40 miles south south east of Sumburgh when Shetland Coastguard was alerted.
A coastguard spokesman said the man had been suffering from a medical condition.
Huge interest in land at Sullom
THE council’s economic development unit has reported “a lot of interest” by businesses in the land near to the Sullom Voe Terminal and the Sella Ness port administration.
Officers currently are carrying out a zoning exercise with the view to market the area as an attractive location to establish enterprises.
The work is being done in anticipation of the £2 billion Total investment into the Laggan/ Tormore gas fields which is expected to lead to a new gas processing plant being built next to the terminal.
The council’s harbour board is also actively pursuing new business opportunities for the port of Sella Ness.
Fibre optic link progress
INSTALLATION of the new fibre optic cable between Maywick and Lerwick can commence as soon as summer this year.
However, councillors sitting on the council’s development committee were told that state aid clearance had to be obtained from the European Commission before the project can go ahead.
Shetland Islands Council is set to invest £1.2 million in laying a cable to connect the isles to the Faroese high speed fibre optic cable that crosses the southend of Shetland between Sandwick and Maywick.
Head of economic development, Neil Grant, said that all the permissions required should be in place by the end of April.
Sponsored walk
MEMBERS and friends of the Shetland Stroke Support Group are setting off on a sponsored walk on Wednesday morning.
Starting from the Grantfield Garage, in Lerwick, at 10am, the walk will take participants north out of Lerwick, turning left for Scalloway at the Brig o’ Fitch and returning to Lerwick via Gulberwick.
The walk is in aid of the Shetland Stroke Support Group (SSSG) and CLAN 123.
A spokesman said: “Anyone who sees the walkers, or who would like to make a donation, please feel free. Your donations are most welcome and will help stroke sufferers and their carers to enjoy some day trips during the summer, and CLAN 123 always need help to improve their care.”
Harbour charges waived
HARBOUR dues at Fair Isle, Scalloway, Baltasound, Cullivoe and Symbister are to be waived for a short period next summer to attract as many tall ships as possible to Shetland’s smaller harbours.
In summer 2011 Lerwick expects the arrival of more than 70 tall ships with 3,000 crew as it hosts the annual Tall Ships Races between 21 and 24 July.
Prior to arriving in Lerwick, vessels will sail at their leisure between Greenock and Shetland and are expected to call at many ports along the way.
In order to attract sailors to other Shetland communities, members of the council harbour board have now decided to waive harbour charges.
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