Councillors to hold meetings at St Ringan’s
Council meetings are due to be held in St Ringan’s – the current home of the main Shetland Library.
Elected members agreed the former church be “re-purposed” as the council chamber during the full council meeting on Wednesday but only after it went to a vote.
It follows concerns the existing chamber in the town hall was not fit for purpose.
The library, meanwhile, is expected to move back to the nearby old library building.
George Smith backed the motion as it stood but Ian Scott moved an amendment that the two issues of rehousing the library and the council chamber be dealt with separately. The original motion was carreied by 14 votes to five.
During the meeting councillors backed plans to press ahead with the refurbishment of the building, which is badly in need of repair.
An updated business case went before members – but papers warned an extra £722,221 will be required. That is down to an increase in construction costs since the original budget of £900,000 was set for the works.
Councillors had approved the refurbishment of the old library building back in November 2015.
The project was significantly delayed following the evacuation of staff from the North Ness offices into the old library almost a year later.
• More to follow in this week’s newspaper.
James J Paton
Goodness meI After so many years WHY excatly is the Town Hall Chamber no longer fit for purpose? Throughing more money away. Surely much more important issues to tackling in Shetland like its own home made climate change, plastic use, tackling alcohol and drug addiction, housing, sustainable development.
What’s wrong with St Olaf’s Hall, Islesburgh Community Centre, evening meetings in new AHS, Shetland College, NAFC, Bit of creative thinking required Cllrs. C’mon you can do, I know its not the default course of action.
John Ridland
In the good auld days the magic word was Abracadabra !
Now its changed to “not fit for purpose ” , schools , piers , anything ?
Maybe the isles folk should try that about there ferries .!