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Moorfield Hotel.


Claadehol
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The Scottish government overturned the SIC decision not to give another extension to the Sellaness accommodation block. The council quite rightly refused this extension as one had been given previously and the council were concerned about local accommodation providers.

I now read that Total are moving their workforce out of the Moorfield hotel and into this accommodation.

 

This is another slap in the face from this dictatorial Scottish government, and could well spell the end for a relatively new hotel, which like other accommodation providers has problems enough already.

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Anyone with any gumption could see that the building of Moorfield Hotel and then the provision of the Sellaness accommodation complex in a small place like Shetland would eventually lead to the over provision of hotel type facilities.

 

We all knew that the work at "Sullom Voe" was of a temporary nature and once construction of the gas plant was completed their would be a lot less demand for accommodation.

 

Today's economic circumstances created mainly,but not totally by this Covid19 has just advanced the inevitable.

 

Competition is good,it gives us all a better choice and helps keep prices more realistic,but over provision means there is not enough work to keep everyone in the hospitality business viable.

 

The blame here possibly lies with previous council members who agreed to let those particular businesses to go ahead in the first place, numpties come to mind..

Edited by Urabug
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  • 4 weeks later...

I too questioned whether this would be viable in the long-run but I don’t think that’s the job of councillors or the council when they decide to grant planning permission.

 

However much the owners may have believed – or have been led to believe - that the camp was temporary they took a gamble on the basis that it would and/or that whatever they may have picked up in the way of tourists on top of oil/gas business would have been enough to keep it going. It’s a shame though that between this place and Scalloway we’ve now lost what on the face of it were among the most modern and well-run of wir hotels.

 

I’d say what really needs to change is the planning system so that impact on existing businesses is something that has to be taken into account when a decision is made. But folk are quick enough to complain when that means their choice is being curtailed (think back to the carry-on about the Tesco extension and Chris Hodge) and you canna have it both ways.

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I have lots of sympathy for the local folk who are going to loose their jobs.  Same with the people employed at Scatsta, but as "Shetlander" has pointed out, "nothing is forever".

 

However, if you close the accommodation block at Sellaness instead, local people employed there would also loose their jobs.   Swings and roundabouts ?

 

Truth is that we are now "over capacity" in that sector (in that area) and, as the major client, the Oil/Gas Industry is going to go for whatever is the cheapest option.

 

Either way, I have as much sympathy for BDL as they (BDL) had for existing accommodation providers when they built Moorfield.   

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The point here Colin is that this accommodation block was supposed to be here for the gas plant construction only. Despite opposition locally an extension was granted and this has posed problems for many accommodation providers in Shetland.

This further extension was refused quite rightly by the SIC as local hotels and guest houses have been having difficulty and many were closing.

The Scottish government and its "independent" reporter decided to overrule the SIC decision, showing complete and utter disregard for local accommodation businesses. 

The Scottish government and the SNP often touted as far more in touch with the Scottish people and rural communities, are shown here to be no better than the much maligned Westminster variety. The rich and powerful in Edinburgh and the central belt couldn't give a damn for small communities and businesses in Shetland, they are concerned only with the wealth that can be extracted via the oil and fishing industries.

The decision by the SNP's "independent reporter" smells more than a little, and one has to wonder what kind of lubrication has been added to the wheels to get this grossly unfair extension rolled through the planning mire.

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  • 3 weeks later...

The Scottish government overturned the SIC decision not to give another extension to the Sellaness accommodation block. The council quite rightly refused this extension as one had been given previously and the council were concerned about local accommodation providers.

I now read that Total are moving their workforce out of the Moorfield hotel and into this accommodation.

 

This is another slap in the face from this dictatorial Scottish government, and could well spell the end for a relatively new hotel, which like other accommodation providers has problems enough already.

Hjaltland will end up getting it at a bargain basement price and do a cheap conversion on it in to 100 bedsits. Hey presto, a large chunk of the waiting list taken care of, probably was Plan B all along.

 

Either way, I guess it'll definitely be housing on the Brevik site now, whose gonna want to build another hotel with so many on the market or closing down.

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What a shame this building,despite the fact that it's future looked uncertain has been devastated by fire.

 

What has worried me more is the speed that this fire ravished through the building,surely a modern building would have had better fire walls and barriers to contain the fire in specific areas for longer.

 

Makes one wonder about the point of fire regulations and all the red tape that is applied to new buildings if it cannot  hold back a fire a little longer than it did at Moorfield.

 

Next time I'm in a hotel I will certainly take a more serious look at the fire exits.

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I can't say I'm shedding many tears. From the speed it burned and from what little is left, I don't think it was made out of much substance or ever designed to last very long in the first place, so its no real loss come this stage.

 

Due to close in 9 days, it would have sat abandoned and rotting becoming an eyesore then a hazard before it was finally torn down. I take back what I said above about Hjaltland taking it for a song, not even they would take what appears to have been a wood frame plywood shed with a prettytish paint job in and out.

 

It was built to service a single market, that market has moved on, its done its job, had its day, now the site can be cleared and reinstated, job done. Best outcome for a f'ed up situation that should have never arisen in the first place.Let the bickering be between the owners and their insurers.

 

Sucks for those in the building on the night for sure, pity it couldn't have happened 10 days in to the future rather than now, but other than that, nothing lost.

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What a shame this building,despite the fact that it's future looked uncertain has been devastated by fire.

 

What has worried me more is the speed that this fire ravished through the building,surely a modern building would have had better fire walls and barriers to contain the fire in specific areas for longer.

 

Makes one wonder about the point of fire regulations and all the red tape that is applied to new buildings if it cannot  hold back a fire a little longer than it did at Moorfield.

 

Next time I'm in a hotel I will certainly take a more serious look at the fire exits.

Either some serious corners were cut or deliberate sabotage of the building

200727-Moorfield-fire-9-720x432.jpeg

Do i see melted plastic?

WTF did they build this out of?, Lego!?

 

Coming form an area that is dirt poor I have seen a lot of burnt buildings, Window frames i can understand being melted but usually there is something semi-solid left behind.

 

But it is usually evident they were made out of a flame retardant plastic that only succumbed to the heat and flopped out of the wall

melted-upvc-windows-damaged-by-heat-duri

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It's a shame, but da building did pretty much aathing it should hiv done. It wis built quickly tae a spec and budget, served it's purpose and aabody got oot safely. 

 

Ony building only his tae meet da minimum fire safety regulations, which is mostly based aroond the time it would tak to evacuate, and hotels need to hiv very detailed evacuation procedures and training fur staff. Makin a building fireproof or hivin firebreaks is an expensive business, so da modern wye is tae build it cheaply and accept dat if a serious fire breaks oot den da whole thing is most likley pintled!

 

Blyed aabody got oot

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It was a 'disposable' building, either stop fire starting, or accept the whole thing becomes one big bonfire. That much seems to evidenced by the lack of much signs of fire 'fighting' and the amount of fire 'control & management'.

 

Whatever it was built from, Shetland's carbon footprint certainly went right off the scale compared to average today.

Edited by Ghostrider
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