Transport / Fair Isle ferry project pushes ahead after full business case approval
The SIC stands to contribute up to £18.6 million towards the project
A MAJOR milestone has been reached in the replacement Fair Isle ferry project after a full business case was approved by councillors in private this morning (Friday) – with the SIC set to pump up to £18.6 million into the scheme.
As the project involves UK Government funding worth nearly £27 million, the case now needs to be rubber-stamped by Westminster officials.
The overall estimated project cost now sits at £45.4 million. Councillors also decided to borrow the SIC’s £18.6 million contribution towards the project rather than to take it from its reserves.
Local Fair Isle resident Eileen Thomson, whose father Neil used to work as a skipper on the ferry, said it was “brilliant news” for the island.
Shetland Islands Council’s (SIC) environment and transport committee chair Moraig Lyall said it is “essential that we support the people of Fair Isle”.
The project will involve a replacement for the Good Shepherd, the ageing ferry which came into service in the 1980s.
The 12-passenger ferry has for nearly 40 years provided a notoriously bumpy ride through the infamous Sumburgh Roost.
She does not meet current accessibility standards – passengers get on the boat via a gangway, and access the seating area by a climb down ladder through a hatch.
The new vessel, which will also have capacity for 12 passengers, will be a larger and faster model with increased lift-on lift-off capability.
However the most costly element of the project will be improvements to the harbour at Fair Isle – which has a population of around 50 – as well at Grutness on the southern tip of Shetland’s South Mainland.
At North Haven in Fair Isle the boat noust will need to be enlarged to accommodate the new vessel along with a new slipway, boat cradle and winch house with some dredging in the harbour area.
At Grutness, the proposed infrastructure works include a new steel tubular-piled pier, around the existing one, which also extends the length of the pier by a further 22 metres and a breakwater extension to create a more sheltered berth.
When the SIC was bidding for Levelling Up funding it was suggested the council’s contribution to the entire project could stand to be £2.8 million, making for an overall project estimate of around £30 million.
But the SIC said since then construction costs have risen “as a result of economic and geopolitical issues”, while there have also been pressures on the local construction workforce and supply chain, all contributing to the increased cost.
In January this year the project estimates stood at between £40 million to £45 million.
Earlier this year it was confirmed the new ferry would no longer be fully ‘ro-ro’ amid escalating costs.
The hope remains that contracts can be awarded in early 2025. Councillors were previously told work could get underway on site in Fair Isle in the spring.
Members of the SIC’s ferry replacement project team have spoken regularly to representatives of the Fair Isle community to discuss what they need from the new vessel and their contributions have helped shape the vessel design and works required.
Thomson said the residents of the island “always hoped” the council would continue to support the project.
“Today’s announcement is just fantastic for the community here,” she said.
“Also great for the project team involved in putting the full business case forward, they have worked tirelessly and for them to have the full support of the council is super.
“As we have been saying for decades we need a new boat and this announcement is a major step in the right direction for us all.”
Commenting after this morning’s meeting, councillor Lyall said: “Councillors have today agreed to progress the funding for a new ferry for Fair Isle and the harbour works associated with it.
“It’s essential that we support the people of Fair Isle, and their ferry is a vital lifeline for their livelihoods and for the future of the island.
“The significant funding from the UK Government is very welcome and we now await the decision of the DfT (Department for Transport) to allow us to hopefully progress with construction as soon as practicable.”
A 2019 survey with Fair Isle residents found that 85 per cent of folk did not think the current air and ferry connections to the mainland are sufficient for their family’s day-to-day needs, now and in future.
The ferry between Fair Isle and Grutness takes around 2.5 hours, while in the summer there are occasional trips to Lerwick.
There are also flights which run between Fair Isle and Tingwall Airport on the Shetland mainland.
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