Shetland Transport Forum

[Muppet]

So what's the panels views on the Shetland Transport Forums first big issue, to combine all Shetland Ports into one Shetland Port Authority?

 

The Council employed consultants (surprise surprise!) to find out what the big transport issues were among the population. They have submitted a 79 page report http://www.shetland.gov.uk/consultation/documents/FinalCommunityConsultationAnnex.PDF which you can all read for yourselves if you feel so inclined!

 

I have to admit, I only scanned through it, but it is full of issues which are repeated page after page after page.

 

The only thing that seems not to have been brought up as an issue is the amalgamation of all Shetland Ports into one authority.

 

Why then is this the first issue to have been put forward by them?

[Officer Dible]

SHETLAND TRANSPORT -

 

I don't think you can fault them. Used them on several occasions to get stuff to the mainland. Had stuff collected from Birmingham and it was nearly half the price than any other haulage firm in Shetland.

[david]

I don't think that was what Muppet was speaking about...

[Njugle]

I think the foremost issue (without reading the report) about this amalgamation is to remove the lawyers from the Bressay Bridge scenario,

 

It would also remove the ongoing issue that LPA is competing against ports which do not have to repay capital on their developments.

 

Alledgedly.

[JustMe]

Has to be worth considering a "Shetland Ports Authority" although I have doubts that many of the present crop of councillors would manage to agree terms for what would be in effect a merger.

 

"Worth considering" means just that. It is worth considering the idea. As indeed it may well be worth considering other ideas that come from the forum.

 

One of the reasons I have yet to read the complete document is because it contains too many gramatical errors.....I think I have also seen factual errors and spelling mistakes but I need to double check this.

 

And before anyone mentions that I also make mistakes I will admit that I do but respectfully point out that I was not paid a vast sum as a consultant.

[Ghostrider]

I think the foremost issue (without reading the report) about this amalgamation is to remove the lawyers from the Bressay Bridge scenario,

 

It would also remove the ongoing issue that LPA is competing against ports which do not have to repay capital on their developments.

 

Alledgedly.

 

Which is an excellent reason why an amalgamation is not a good idea....Were the council to have compete control of the harbour we'd already have hell's highway in the sky, which they refer to as a bridge, and the knowes ih nort Bressa wid be littered with ostentacious "mansions", regardless of the rights or wrongs of whether doing everything possibe to ensure the harbour's future success, or access to the mainland for Bressa folk (or should that be Lerrik folk's access to Bressa ), was of greater importance.

[Flaming Mo]

Agreed. Lets keep bressay the remote island community that it is.

[tirvaluk]

An ex counciler once told me, he wished that the cooncil was run by the Lerwick Harbour Trust, as they were far better run,that could solve all the problems, let the LPA run da cooncil

[Muppet]

It would also remove the ongoing issue that LPA is competing against ports which do not have to repay capital on their developments.

 

Alledgedly.

 

True, but how would this be achieved? By the Council funding development in Lerwick, or Scalloway and Sullom having to borrow to fund their developments?

 

I can just imagine the reaction to the Council paying to dredge the north harbour of Lerwick!

[Officer Dible]

As I understand from the Shetland Times the following persons will plan and review this Proposal.

 

4 councillors

1 NHS Member

1 Enterprise

 

So when will LPA have their say. This looks like Sandy Cluness's last ditch attempt to rail road Alan Wishart into submission.

 

Surely the council woul dbe better off signing their property over to the LPA. This will write off more then just a 5% cut in the budget.

[Muppet]

It will certainly make for some interesting debate in the coming weeks and months.

 

Does anyone know if the harbour at Sullom Voe still makes a profit? I cant find anything on the SIC website. Eddie Knight suggested it did on Radio Shetland, but he was including the Councils oil revenue. I would like to know what the profit/loss is purely from the operation of the Harbour. Likewise I cant find anything similar for Scalloway other than annual income somewhere in the region of £235 000. No indication of operating costs.

 

To alter tack slightly, i find the following quotes rather incompatible.

 

The merger, Mr irvine said, had nothing to do with row between the SIC and the LPA over plans to build a bridge to Bressay and the Council had no hidden agenda to take oil industry decommisioning work away from Lerwick

 

Why then was this said during a Council debate on the Bressay Bridge?

 

"One port authority for the whole of Shetland might be the way forward for Shetland."

 

Hardly seems to me to be the place to make such a statement if he wants us to believe his earlier statement!

[sailor]

Would it not be more sense to give the SIC ports to LPA to run? They have the experience, and a proven record of growth and sustainability.

[Ghostrider]

Would it not be more sense to give the SIC ports to LPA to run? They have the experience, and a proven record of growth and sustainability.

 

Of course, but would they take them all? Sullom - Very likely, if future business projections didn't make it look like a millstone. Scalloway - Probably. The rest - ??? Do any others turn a profit, or have a liklihood of ever doing so? How many of the rest do the council actually have the reins for anyway? There's a whole slew when you count them up, Grutness, Broonie's Taing, Symbister, Collafirth, Cullivoe, Baltasound, to name but a few, it's not long ago since some of these at least were run by Trusts or Commitees, have they all be consigned to history by the Town Hall already?

[Njugle]

Sorry Ghostrider, pedantic streak has arisen. Broonies Taing is privately owned i think, but anyway, here's the list from the SIC website.

* Walls

* West Burrafirth

* Collafirth

* Mid Yell

* Cullivoe

* Baltasound

* Symbister

* Out Skerries

* Fair Isle

Ports & Harbours(small ports)

 

And here is a link to a pdf of all their small port and Scalloway charges (Port dues) So if anybody can be bothered to find out how many vessels, small and otherwise there are using the ports, noting of course that even salmon boats using their own piers are due a small levy for harbour entry, then we'd have a vague idea of what revenue was being generated, and probably a job with P&H

[Ghostrider]

Sorry Ghostrider, pedantic streak has arisen. Broonies Taing is privately owned i think, but anyway, here's the list from the SIC website.

* Walls

* West Burrafirth

* Collafirth

* Mid Yell

* Cullivoe

* Baltasound

* Symbister

* Out Skerries

* Fair Isle

Ports & Harbours(small ports)

 

And here is a link to a pdf of all their small port and Scalloway charges (Port dues) So if anybody can be bothered to find out how many vessels, small and otherwise there are using the ports, noting of course that even salmon boats using their own piers are due a small levy for harbour entry, then we'd have a vague idea of what revenue was being generated, and probably a job with P&H

 

Well, for the 2004 year, which seems to be the most recent available online, Lerwick Harbour took in a revenue of over £6 Million, whereas Scalloway took in just a few pounds shy of £235,000.

 

Yes, I can just see the LPT falling over themselves to become involved, and I don't think. They have a nice tidy one site enterprise where they are, which gives them a darn good pay cheque every year, why bother spreading themselves Shetland-wide with all the communication, logistical and transport headaches which follow that, for such a small increase in gross income.