Calls to fix-up Lerwick’s ‘neglected’ Sletts site

Community leaders have backed calls to tidy up a historic section of the Lerwick foreshore after it fell into disrepair.

Lerwick Community Council last night (Monday) agreed to write to the SIC amid growing concerns about the state of the Sletts, particularly the steps accessing the pier, which have been closed off.

The coastal path of the Sletts runs from the Ayre of Breiwick to the Ayre of Clickimin, while Sletts Pier is an area of flat rock that stretches out to sea. For centuries, it has been used for commercial and leisure activities, including by swimmers, kayakers and fishermen.

Vice-chairman Gary Robinson said he noticed the steps were in a “fair state” with a missing section of handrail, which had been replaced with a barrier.

“It looked fairly rickety,” he added.

“It’s one of those things where something needs to be done.”

Chairman Jim Anderson said a lot of folk walked in the area and it was a shame that access to a “bonny” site was not currently possible via the steps.

“I don’t think it would be a big task to bring it up to standard,” he added.

Andy Carter, who lives near to the site, said it could be an “attractive part of the town” but had been “neglected”.

“The lack of access to the steps down to the shore adds to the general malaise of what could be a nice viewpoint for folk,” he added.

“I don’t think it would be any difficulty to tidy it up to make it attractive.”

Mr Anderson said the large boulders along the shore had been moved around and were at risk of being undermined by a “couple of good seas”.

He suggested writing to the SIC’s coastal protection officer about the matter.

The community council had previously received a letter raising concerns about the site.

Ex-officio member Peter Campbell explained that ex-officio member Cecil Smith had been dealing with the issue, however he was not in attendance at the meeting.