Tunnels plans ‘positive’ for Shetland but plenty of hard work still to do

Shetland Islands Council’s deputy leader says there is still a lot of “hard legwork” to do on tunnels.

Gary Robinson also predicts that a fixed funding model – involving money from government, private sources and tolls – would end up being the likely way forward for paying for tunnel construction.

The council recently approved an implementation route map for inter-island connectivity improvements in Shetland, which essentially set out the sequence in which proposed projects should come.

For tunnels, a fixed link to Yell was selected as the priority, with one to Unst then following.

Ferry replacements and harbour infrastructure improvements are also in the mix.

The Scottish Government has pledged £23m over the coming three years which stands to be used on pre-construction work for a tunnel to Yell.

Robinson said the council “continues to make the case” on tunnel funding, with the issue on the agenda when the SIC recently attended the SNP conference in Aberdeen.

He said the key challenge is about having the money to pay for a tunnel plan.

“We’ll continue with the discussions with both governments around that, and also with private interests as well to see if we can pull together a package,” Robinson said.

“I don’t think any one potential funder is going to fund the whole thing – I think we’re going to end up with a mixed funding model.”

He added that tolls – a charge people would pay when using the tunnel – “will probably be part of the equation”.

Meanwhile, he said the recent report from Westminster’s Scottish Affairs committee on fixed links in Scotland was “very helpful” for the SIC’s cause.

This said that fixed links could have “transformative potential” for Shetland’s future, with the UK Government urged to back the project.

“It’s positive,” Robinson on the progress with tunnels, “but I think we’ve got a lot of hard legwork to do still to make sure we can pull together a complete package.”

The depute leader added that a report on the next “tranche” of work is set to go in front of councillors in November.