News / Centre not quite open
THE MANAGER of Shetland’s new independent living centre has apologised for it failing to be open to the public following last week’s official opening.
The £3 million centre was officially opened by Scottish minister for parliamentary business Joe Fitzpatrick last Wednesday after finance secretary John Swinney was fog bound in Edinburgh.
However people who have turned up since to see the range of living aids on display at the Gremista building in Lerwick have been turned away.
Shetland Islands Council development director Neil Grant explained the building could not open to the public because it had not received its completion certificate from building control.
He said there were still a couple of problems with the building’s doors, which he hoped would be resolved within the next two weeks.
Meanwhile occupational health manager Jo Robinson said that staff were already moving into the building and getting it ready to open for the public in a couple of weeks.
“It’s unfortunate if people got the impression that it was absolutely ready to be open for business and I can only apologise if that is the case,” she said.
“This is a brand new building very much in the process of being set up and we will certainly be welcoming people to come along.”
One Shetland mainland resident with a disabled wife and mother said he turned up this week to look at all the equipment that was to be on display, only to be told he could not gain access.
“Somebody could be setting off from Unst to look at equipment because nobody said it’s closed,” he said.
The council said the centre was open between 9am and 5pm and people could still come and pick up or drop off equipment at the entrance.
Robinson added that even when the centre is open to the public it would be wise for people to make contact by phone first by calling 01595 744319.
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