Capital wish list goes back to chief executive

THE SIC harbour board agreed a wish list of priorities for the capital programme at a special meeting on Tuesday.

The two most pressing requirements emerged as the Walls Pier and dredging in Scalloway Harbour.

Board chairman Alastair Cooper said it would be uneconomical to repair the Walls Pier.

A proposal was made to allocate £100,000 for work on the design of the pier in the financial year 2009-10, with the building work being done in the next two financial years.

During 2010-11 £1.4 million would be spent on it, followed by £2m in the financial year 2011-12.

Meanwhile dredging work costing £3m would be done in Scalloway Harbour in 2010-11, with stone dredged from the harbour being used as infill for Walls Pier.

Work on the Peerie Dock at Symbister would be set back, possibly until 2010-11 or 2011-12.

Councillor Rick Nickerson suggested approaching the amenity trust for funding for the Peerie Dock, as it was a conservation project.

Newly-appointed ports and harbours chief Roger Moore said although he had nothing against making this approach, the harbour board nevertheless had a duty of care regarding the structure.

Meanwhile, the council’s infrastructure committee failed to agree on exactly which capital projects should take priority when they met this week.

The committee urged chief executive Morgan Goodlad to come back before Christmas with accurate costings for schemes and a prioritised list for councillors to work from.

Lerwick South member Jonathan Wills warned the long list of projects was “completely unrealistic” in its current form, as there were twice as many projects as the council could afford.

The infrastructure department is looking to spend £168 million over the next five years.

Convener Sandy Cluness said the council needed to spend its way through the oncoming recession.

“The difference between the SIC and other local authorities is we do have reserves, and where we have imagination we can use them,” Mr Cluness said.