Toft pier opens following multi-million pound upgrade
Stuart Prestidge
The new £3.5m pier at Toft is now open, providing an important new facility for aquaculture and commercial fishing industries in the North Mainland.
Vessels can berth on the pier from today, Monday 17th May.
The new pier has been built on the site of the previous jetty, built as a ferry terminal in the 1970s,which had reached the end of its serviceable life. It was closed 2016. Shetland Islands Council agreed to the pier’s rebuild in 2019, to support economic opportunities in the area, including fishing and renewable energy projects.
The new pier is around three times larger than the previous one, with a working area of around 1100 square metres and includes shore power and lighting.
The pier design also features a 30-metre ‘dog-leg’ extension that will provide more berthing space for boats and better shelter in poor weather, as well as increased water depth on both the inside and outside of the pier.
Andrea Manson, chairwoman of the council’s Harbour Board, said: “This is tremendous news. There have been calls for a replacement pier since the new ferry terminal was built at Toft in 2004. I’m delighted that the Council has been able to fund and oversee the construction of this new pier, which will be a huge benefit to the local shellfish industry in particular.
“Maritime and coastal industries are so important to our community and they are well supported by the Council’s management of several ports and harbours around Shetland.”
Alastair Cooper, chairman of the council’s development committee, added: “This new pier will be a real asset to the local area and is an important investment by the council in the local aquaculture and renewables sector.
“Toft pier is a strategically important site for shellfish landings and has potential to support tidal energy projects too. I’m confident that this pier will help to create and sustain a diversified economy in the North Mainland.”
A full report will appear in this week’s Shetland Times, out Friday, 21st May.
