Council / ‘Victory’ for Skerries as extra delivery charges for islanders scrapped
SKERRIES residents are celebrating after winning a near two-year battle with Shetland Islands Council (SIC) over parcel delivery charges.
People on the island had challenged the council after being forced to pay additional delivery charges to receive parcels from large companies such as Amazon.
The campaign was spearheaded by well-known local resident Christopher Harris, better known as “Crazy Chris”.
After returning to Skerries in 2023, he found they were being charged extra for some courier deliveries – a policy that also extended to Papa Stour, Fair Isle and Foula.
The charge has been in place for the last 20 years, he said.
He launched a campaign demanding answers from the SIC in April last year, and said he was told the charges had “always been that way”.
The SIC was also unable to produce any legal justification for the fees, he claimed.
MSP Beatrice Wishart joined the campaign in September 2023, with the Skerries Community Council also pushing for answers.
Harris said they discovered islanders were not being charged extra for parcels delivered by bus, NorthLink ferry or airline – which “laid bare the illogical and inconsistent nature of the charges”.
He added that email correspondence with the council also highlighted a lack of clear legal documentation to justify the fees.
The persistence of the people of Skerries finally paid off this week, with the SIC confirming yesterday (Thursday) they would no longer be charged extra.
In a statement, the council said Streamline had “agreed to pick up the charges”.
“From 1st November, we have stopped invoicing island residents for courier parcels where carriage to the door has already been paid,” the SIC said.
“Normal invoicing for other parcel deliveries will continue, where delivery has not already been paid for by the recipient.”
Harris said the triumph “marks the end of a prolonged battle for equality and fairness in delivery services for islanders”.
“Just because those in power tells us it is right, does not make it right,” he added.
He thanked everyone who supported his campaign, particularly MSP Wishart whose “tireless advocacy helped secure this victory”.
“This is a victory not just for Out Skerries, but for fairness and equality across Shetland,” Chris said.
“We’ve shown that when a community stands together, we can achieve great things.
“The SIC’s acknowledgment of the issue and agreement to end the charges is a significant step forward for the islands.”
Harris said he hoped the campaign would serve as a reminder to the council to consider the unique challenges being faced by remote communities.
“This isn’t just about parcels,” he said.
“It’s about ensuring that all Shetlanders are treated equally and fairly.”
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