Exhibition of Knab site plans
A workshop is being held next week to give folk an update on plans for the former Anderson High School site.
It will be held at Lerwick Town Hall on Tuesday from 4pm to 8pm.
It follows two previous sessions in November and March involving consultants 7N Architects, where people have put forward their views.
Shetland Islands Council said next week’s event will take the form of an exhibition, with the chance for further comments to be made.
Ewan Anderson of 7N Architects said: “The Shetland community have enthusiastically engaged with this process and it’s heartening that people have strong views on the future of this important site.
“The community’s comments from the previous workshop have been incorporated in these emerging proposals and we’re keen to hear any further feedback.”
Councillor Alastair Cooper, chairman of the council’s development committee, said: “The plans for the Knab site are taking shape and we’re keen to ensure that the public continue to contribute to the future of this unique site.
“I’d urge folk to come along and see how this site can help to address some of our shared challenges in Shetland and to provide benefits to the wider community.”
fcluness
Just an idea about the Knab site I think we have to think about and that’s the long term.
The new Anderson High has a 30/40/50 year life. After that where will we build the next Anderson high?
If we fill every space in the town then, when we need space (for the next Anderson) we will have no spaces left. So perhaps we should land bank the site, knock down the bits that we don’t want to keep, then grass it over and keep to fit in the next Anderson High, yes a lot of us will not be here, but we need to plan long term too for the next generation too.
Peter Hamilton
Yes to more green spaces. Shetland would benefit greatly from Lerwick having a centrally located arboretum like Faroe’s capital has. Allotments would be welcome too. The more public spaces and parks serving different needs the better.
However, although SLAP gets a healthy profit from cash-strapped Shetland College (at some cost to the courses and services it can offer) as it is the college is not well located. Some of the AHS site should be considered as an alternative location for the college, closer to bus services and other amenities, more encouraging for students and better for the town centre.
If that sounds too daft or complicated why not just hand the Knab site over to the good folk at SLAP? They can then rent it out to the highest bidder and provide yet more money to fund the people’s representatives at SCT’s next attempt to do weel. Has anyone got close to a running total on the cash consumed so far by Viking Energy btw? Is it clear how much went in year by year? Only axing.
Ali Inkster
The site belongs to P&O we rent it for a peppercorn rent for the sole purpose of education. Has anyone asked P&O what we can do with their land.
fcluness
New Bells Brae School then? Then they could fill the Bells Brae site with more houses, thus they could keep the bits of the old school that’s worth keeping and clear the rest.
Christopher Johnston
Since P&O has been dismembered into many pieces, it may be difficult to discover exactly who owns it now. Regardless, SIC doesn’t own it unless they can prove they bought it or were gifted it.
Ali Inkster
I’m sure council officials have clarified ownership and the owners position before they authorised spending on this project?
Peter Hamilton
Very helpful Ali. So a profit making company based south accepts a peppercorn rent for land for educational purposes at one end of the town for educational whilst SLAP, an offshoot of kcal charity, Shetland Charitable Trust, demands a high rent for educational purposes at the other.
Meanwhile SCT accepts a peppercorn rent for recreational purposes – golfing and the 19th hole at Dales Voe.
Maybe SCT could learn something from Arthur Anderson’s legacy, take the college site back from SLAP and rent it to the college for the same £500 the golf course pays. That would involve it thinking about how to help the people of Shetland however. Given the likelihood, let’s hope the college gets a chance to move back into the town.