Are we loosing the Staney Hill?

[RFR937]

 

There's plenty of space in Scalloway to build 

 

Where? 

 

Apart from the space mentioned in my earlier posts is it any harder to build on a hill in Scalloway than it is in Lerwick?

[Colin]

Scalloway, like a lot of other places, was destroyed(?) for families by the SIC Housing Depts mad rush to turn every available familiy sized house into flats.  The bleeding obvious result of this is that there are now fewer houses for families who, as others have mentioned, now have to live elsewhere.

 

The only 'good' land available for additional housing appears to be prime(?) agricultural land that is in regular use producing animal feed and other crops.  Suggesting that this land is 'available' for house building is a non-starter at the moment.

 

The only jobs available to locals in Scalloway seem to be in the village shops because (as MJ pointed out) most of the 'good' jobs have gone to 'outsiders' who commute into Scalloway every day.

[hjasga]

 

 

There's plenty of space in Scalloway to build 

 

Where? 

 

Apart from the space mentioned in my earlier posts is it any harder to build on a hill in Scalloway than it is in Lerwick?

 

 

I agree it would be nice to see the Port Arthur site finally developed, but ultimately that is going to provide at most,what, ten medium-sized houses?

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "land up towards Berry Farm". I think any open land up there is in fact just part of Berry Farm and actively used in their work. 

 

Colin, it's not quite true that the only jobs are in the shops. There are various employers at Blacksness and East Voe who have majority local staff, as well as the nursery (at Main St, perhaps not school), hotel, swimming pool etc. There are opportunities about and a fairly well balanced local economy. As somebody born and raised in Scalloway I'd love for there to be more housing available but I'm just not convinced that suitable space really exists, and I certainly think there would be more efficient spaces on which to spend our limited housing funds. 

[Kavi Ugl]

The land angle is very interesting because the Berry Farm is just that - a farm with good land.

 

The Staney Hill is, in agricultural terms, just rough ground fit for nothing really.  I guess the clue is in the name!.

 

Mind you, I don't want to see Piggy Rock or the Diving Board lost because of the development!.

 

I hope you ken what I'm speaking aboot

[paulb]

what about the field near scalloway health centre

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@60.141655,-1.277887,3a,75y,320.26h,79.79t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sl645UuPz2jWAYohpE5-XqQ!2e0

[hjasga]

what about the field near scalloway health centre

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@60.141655,-1.277887,3a,75y,320.26h,79.79t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sl645UuPz2jWAYohpE5-XqQ!2e0

 

As the ewe and lamb peeping out behind that portacabin indicate, that land is actively used by Berry Farm. 

 

I'm not sure the fate of the Health Centre building itself once the move to the old primary school is complete. Perhaps it would leave space for a small development. 

[shetlander]

 

I'm serious, and in my view they haven't spent enough outside of Lerwick.

 

Look at what Stromness is to Kirkwall compared to what Scalloway is to Lerwick. Why not begin to urbanise other areas? Build the infrastructure elsewhere and people, retail and whatever else will follow. Why not extend Lerwick and incorporate other settlements, rather than densify.

 

The argument is also often Lerwick vs the Country, but when you break it down to Lerwick vs Brae, Lerwick vs Scalloway etc., you get more realistic comparisons.

 

What infrastructure do you mean? Shetland's biggest villages already have more facilities than similarly sized places elsewhere (health centres, leisure centres, secondary schools, care centres etc.) If there was a need/considered to be a demand for say a second hospital or (god forbid!) another publicly subsidised cinema/music venue then by all means, look at Brae, Scalloway or somewhere else outwith the town. It just makes sense to put anything that there’s just the need for one of in the most accessible place for most folk i.e. Lerwick. 

 

To add to what hjasga has said, Stromness is nearly twice as far from Kirkwall than Scalloway is from Lerwick. I agree it has more than Scalloway but more noticeably IMO in the number of shops and other businesses rather than the way of publicly provided infrastructure/facilities. It also functions as more of a ‘centre’ for the West Mainland of Orkney – Scalloway and most sizeable places near it (Hamnavoe, Tingwall, Whiteness, Weisdale etc.) are a relatively short drive from what’s already available in Lerwick.  

Don’t get me wrong – I’d be delighted to see more houses being biggit in rural areas but only if folk want to live there. I can’t speak for everybody of course but the offerings elsewhere from a career/social life/lifestyle perspective were the drivers for me to want to move from ‘yokeland’ rather than what the council failed to provide in the way of infrastructure/facilities. I’m rapidly drifting out of the age bracket myself but I suspect that if they’re honest, a lot of young folk who have made the move to Lerwick or a toon further afield will tell you the same thing.

Edited March 9, 2015 by shetlander

[shetlander]

Granted aquaculture and the college has come, but there's a lot less fishing boats than back then, fish factories have evolved, gone are the "big boys", or at least perceived "big boys" such as Iceatlantic and Williamson's. Shops seem much less, garages are fewer, pubs are fewer, haulage companies seem fewer, gone are G&M/Shalder and Johnson's.

 

I'm not arguing Scalloway doesn't provide a relatively significant level of employment, just wondering whether the general perception is true that in common with most of the rest of Shetland, unless for the toon, Sullom and a little extra at Sumburgh, employment is no more than, if not actually less than 35 years ago. And whether anyone tempted to move there by additional housing would readily find employment there, or simply be acquiring a base from which they commute elsewhere.

 

Purely anecdotal, but I’d also guess rural employment has been pretty stable in my (35 year-ish) minding. What probably has changed are the jobs folk are doing. There are certainly a lot less rural shops, post offices, pubs and the like than there used to be and the same with fishing/fish factories – did the Whalsa’ Fish Factory no employ upwards of 60-70 folk in its heyday for example? At the same time, salmon/mussel farming didn’t exist til the mid-80s and between ferries, schools, care centres etc. the council probably employ more folk in rural areas now than they used to. Probably depends on the area too – look at how many airport/RAF jobs have gone from Unst. That all said, folk do seem to be travelling to Lerwick much more frequently/willingly than they used to whether for work, to buy their errands or for leisure/entertainment.

Edited March 9, 2015 by shetlander

[MuckleJoannie]

 

 

Is there still a dormant/abandoned partially prepared site that could hold a few in the face of the hill near the College? Granted it wouldn't be much, but it would be a start and would "tidy up" a "scar"/eyesore on the countryside.

 

 

Yes it is still there. The problem there seemed to be that Planning demanded a two lane road with pavements on both sides, which would have been very expensive given the slope on the site.

[Ghostrider]

^ Sounds like an ideal spot for the Council to build on then. If Planning have waded in and stopped play, Housing and them can fight it out amongst themselves while the elected Councillors try and act as referees - it would keep them all occupied enough to stop them causing too much trouble elsewhere.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Ghostrider

[JustMe]

Oh come on........just build a bridge to Lerwick East (currently known as Bressay) and all Lerwick's housing problems can be solved overnight.

[Ghostrider]

^ That sounds suspiciously familiar....Wasn't there a once upon a time local Emperor who had a T Shirt with something like that on it.

[Colin]

You sure that the 'Emperor' was actually wearing any clothes?

[Ghostrider]

^ I didn't dare look, just in case he wasn't. http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/qq330/Redneck_Hillbilly0504/SickAnimated.gif

[Colin]

http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/10298-new-town-houses-not-at-expense-of-rural-areas

 

What a load of b*ll*cks..  How can building so many houses in the town NOT affect house building elsewhere?