Housing / SIC planning £6m housing refurbishment in Whalsay and Weisdale
SHETLAND Islands Council is tendering for significant housing refurbishment in Whalsay and Weisdale worth a total of £6 million.
It involves the full internal and external refurbishment of 12 properties at Harlsdale in Whalsay, and similar work on 11 homes at Kalliness in Weisdale.
The value of the respective contracts are £3.2 million and £2.8 million.
A spokesperson for Shetland Islands Council said it hopes to attract Scottish Government ‘More Homes’ funding of £2 million towards the overall project cost.
The contract notice for the Whalsay work said the project includes the “full spectrum of services required in order to refurbish the properties to a new, modern and energy efficient standard together with associated site works and services”.
This procurement is being let as a serial contract with the potential, subject to satisfactory performance of Harlsdale, for the successful bidder to land the Kalliness work.
North Isles councillor Duncan Anderson said the refurbishment of the Harlsdale houses in Whalsay is “long overdue”.
He added that he was disappointed to learn of a recent delay to the project a few months ago.
“However, I was immediately reassured by officers of the valid reasons for the delay and am happy to now see the project being brought forward again,” Anderson said.
“Hopefully the tendering is successful this time around.”
Shetland Central councillor Catherine Hughson said residents of Kalliness will be “glad to see that much needed work will go ahead” – provided the local authority gets tenders back.
She reiterated that the project would take place over a period of time.
“I hope contractors will bid for the work as we have heard that the inability to forward plan has been a problem so hopefully this will go some way to help with that and assist them with workforce planning and investment in apprentices,” Hughson said.
“This is a very positive move and I look forward to a successful tendering exercise and commencement of work.”
Meanwhile the local authority is also in line to spend £250,000 on a full refurbishment of an unoccupied home in Scalloway.
A spokesperson for the SIC said regarding the Scalloway project: “This is a continuation of a previous refurbishment programme that has been delayed, and which will see remaining similar properties Shetland-wide refurbished to a modern, energy-efficient standard.”
Planning permission has been sought for the work.
It comes as demolition continues on eight properties in Sandveien in Lerwick ahead of their rebuild.
The SIC has confirmed that tenants of the Sandveien properties have either been temporarily relocated to other council houses in Lerwick or have elected to permanently relocate to another council house.
The project is costing £2.5 million, with the contract awarded to local firm DITT.
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