Toft Pier

[ll]

Whilst there is no doubt that Toft clearly needs a new pier, with fixed links seemingly being looked at once again, can the whole thing not be looked at together?

 

If a tunnel were put across Yell Sound, boats would have access the piers of Ulsta and Burravoe, and also what would be the former ferry piers at Toft and Ulsta.

 

All the rock dug out of the tunnels, they could sell or make breakwaters galore. Likely would have been easy to sell for construction materials to gas plant, but missed this one.

 

This would be 2 million pounds saving straight away that could go onto fixed links, could also have had the 8 million that Clueless so adeptly lost on the Bressay bridge as well, mainly down to his own stupidity. 

 

 

 

[whalsa]

I am not 100% sure fixed links are even being looked at. The community councils are pushing for them but I have heard no mention of the SIC actively promoting the idea during the discussion on transport links with the Scottish Government, I get the impression they were seeking assistance for replacing ferries and piers.

I agree with you however, if possible (and wanted by the islanders) tunnels should be sought for Yell, Unst and Whalsay with associated piers where at all possible. 

However, judging by their recent out and out rejection of any plans to extend the Whalsay pier I very much expect they are intent on spending as little as possible on the isles as usual. 

[shetlander]

A two million ‘saving’ on the Toft Pier but how much for a tunnel? Anybody who thinks that we’re going to see fixed links anytime soon is living in a dream world. I get the whole argument about the long term cost savings of tunnels v ferries, the benefits to the isles etc. but we’re speaking about a colossal capital outlay and years of planning and construction for just one tunnel let alone the three or four that there’s a desire to see biggit. And yes I know they’ve done it in Faroe/Norway/wherever but we’re in none of those places.

 

It’d be more realistic IMO for the council (or the Scottish Government if they end up being responsible for them) to start planning/saving for replacing ferries on the Bluemull/Whalsay/Bressay routes with a view to a first tunnel being provided across Yell Sound when those ferries need replacing in 20/30 years’ time or whatever.

 

On Toft, it would have made sense (although the state of the pier may not have been an issue back then) to have included a fishing pier into the new terminal when it was built. I ken there are aye boats lying at Toft but are either Sella Ness and Collafirth really too congested/far away/unsuitable when I assume the boats using it fish in Yell Sound?

Edited February 25, 2016 by shetlander

[Urabug]

II----All the rock dug out of the tunnels, they could sell or make breakwaters galore. Likely would have been easy to sell for construction materials to gas plant, but missed this one.

 

Doubt if the rock being removed during the construction of a tunnel would be much use for a breakwater,but it may have been handy at the gas plant.

 

Remember the size of the boulders required at Sumburgh Airport to protect the end of the east runway.

 

Highly unlikely they will remove rocks of this size when tunneling, and anything much smaller will simply be washed away.

[Wheelsup]

I thought the Toft Pier repairs were to do with the local fishing industry rather than the ferry service?

[damissinlink]

 

A two million ‘saving’ on the Toft Pier but how much for a tunnel? Anybody who thinks that we’re going to see fixed links anytime soon is living in a dream world. I get the whole argument about the long term cost savings of tunnels v ferries, the benefits to the isles etc. but we’re speaking about a colossal capital outlay and years of planning and construction for just one tunnel let alone the three or four that there’s a desire to see biggit. And yes I know they’ve done it in Faroe/Norway/wherever but we’re in none of those places.

 

It’d be more realistic IMO for the council (or the Scottish Government if they end up being responsible for them) to start planning/saving for replacing ferries on the Bluemull/Whalsay/Bressay routes with a view to a first tunnel being provided across Yell Sound when those ferries need replacing in 20/30 years’ time or whatever.

 

On Toft, it would have made sense (although the state of the pier may not have been an issue back then) to have included a fishing pier into the new terminal when it was built. I ken there are aye boats lying at Toft but are either Sella Ness and Collafirth really too congested/far away/unsuitable when I assume the boats using it fish in Yell Sound?

 

yes sellaness and collafirth are too congested and sellaness is a poor pier for fishing boats

[ll]

3 years ago the Yell Sound ferries were needing £10,000 everyday to subsidise their running, you'd do a lot of digging for this?

[Urabug]

As has already been intimated the Toft pier has nothing to do with the Ferries,but nevertheless is well located for fishermen to land there catches and if need be tie up their boats and catch a ferry home should they need to.

 

Should the ferries ever be replaced with tunnels or bridges the negative side to this would be the loss of many well paid jobs,not only on the boats but also in the maintenance and service sector.

 

I believe this would have a major impact, but swings and roundabouts again some would  gain others not !

[MAMAMOOMOO]

I wonder if the SIC will ever get anything right. Shetlands wealth has always come from the sea. And the people who are willing to exploit it At least Lerwick harbour trust seems to recognise that fact. Its a real shame the SIC cant see it.We constantly hear our local politicians bleating on about Westminster and Hollyrood goverments not taking the fishing industry seriously. While at the same time our own council seems to go out of its way to hamper our biggest industry. Shetlands future prosperity cannot be left in the hands of  SIC officials or we are all doomed. Not after  Mareel, Smirl, the Bressay bridge fiasco, the Sumburgh airport cockup, the SullomVoe tugs embarrassment, The rural schools affair , the white house ballsup, no white lines on the roads etc etc . The list is endless. Our future prosperity certainly wont be enhanced by yet more SIC ineptness. I don't begrudge the good people of Fetler their pier but im pretty sure the SIC hasn't seen any return on that dubious investment. HAS IT MAGGIE ?. Double standards it would seem .Its sad to say but in Shetland now for every person trying to get on there are at least 10 trying to stop them. If the fools at Sellaness cant see the value of investing in Shetlands piers and fish markets then I suggest the whole lot be taken out of their hands and entrusted to someone who can . 

[Ghostrider]

I just "love" the council's 'solutions' to things such as these. Either fence it off so nobody can make any use of anything around it at all and let it rot in to the ebb, and if folk won't do what they're told and persist in using it, demolish it in to the ebb.

 

Talk about throwing the baby out with the bath water. If they can't/won't fix it up enough to do for now/will only consider some OTT grandoise scheme for it, what would be wrong with selling it for a nominal £1 to the boat-owners who are interested in keeping it, to make a kirk or a mill of as they see fit.

 

The Council has very ably and clearly demonstrated they'd they're neither compentent or capable of maintaining or running it, so should get off the pot seeing as they apparently are incapable of, or don't know how to piss in it.

[ll]

It's no wonder S.I.C. has money to spend on piers, they have wasted:

 

5.5m Sumburgh runway

5.5m School at the Knab

 

7.2m Bressay Bridge

Viking Energy 8.9m

 

White House 7.3m

 

7m Bonxie

7m Solan

 

With nothing to show for it.

 

- and after a while of having 6 tugs, seems we now need just 3?:

 

http://www.scchambers.net/product/reference-35988/

 

But still need three 70 foot pilot boats at Sullom to take in 1 tanker a week.

 

£2 million pound upgrade to the port radar (again), but we need this as 2 radars x 4 tugs = 1 pilot boat = 10 radars is just not enough. Better not let them know you can get AIS for free to plot the tankers position. Likely a bit sore still that they lost the helicopter for watching them?

 

 

When the new piers came to Ulsta, the SIC left decent facilities for the local fleet, so what happened at the other side?

 

Best thing the boats can do is just use the ferry pier at Toft. It's 30 plus years of ferries steaming whilst alongside at the piers instead of putting out ropes and saving fuel that's buggered the old pier. Same thing happened to the pier at Sella Ness with the tugs. 

 

Da 1 million pound windows at da toon haa are now 1.7 million, about da same cost as a new pier.

[ll]

Too busy farting around with rubbish at the street to worry about piers:

 

http://www.shetland.gov.uk/news-advice/PR-LitterMountainontheStreet.asp

[Skunnered]

The Lerwick Harbour make sure they collect their Dues.  If the users of the Toft pier had paid their dues for landings, then it might have been viable for the SIC to repair or replace it.

[Urabug]

Probably not a lot to be made from fishing for shellfish these days and extra "dues" might well make it not worth the effort for a few.

[Ghostrider]

^ If there's not, maybe its down to whoever markets such things missing a trick. If Orkney can manage to get in there with it as a "new" "main" stock line product with a national, why haven't we?

 

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=292277657