Revamp for Orkney Multiple Sclerosis care

MS services in Orkney are being completely revised in an attempt to bring patient care up to a national standard.

A pilot scheme for an MS clinic at the Balfour Hospital day hospital, a link specialist nurse and a visiting consultant neurologist are among the recommendations being looked at, according to Orkney integrated care projects manager, Mr Ken Harris-Jones.

It is hoped the clinic will be up and running in April this year with occupational and physiotherapy and a wide range of information available to MS sufferers.

Orkney Islands Council could become involved in funding the ‘cassette’ livestock carrying system which will be used on board NorthLink’s ferries later this year.

OIC’s economic development chairman, Councillor Jim Foubister, said on Friday that he understood negotiations were currently taking place to enable a local company to buy and operate the double-decker transport units.

He added that although no funding request had yet been received by the council, he felt that it was likely to be looked at favourably, provided there was a commercial rate of return to the council, as with any other application for assistance.

Three transport projects boosted by Executive grant

Three local organisations will benefit by £22,281 from the latest round of Scottish Executive transport grants.

The Papay Development Trust are to receive £3,330 to allow them to provide a boat service between Papa Westray and Westray, outside the normal school hours service.

The Westray Development trust are to receive £7,668 to provide transport for local children, while Orkney Disability Forum will receive £11,283 for driver training.

Shapinsay group wait on council for fitness room

A group set up in Shapinsay to establish a fitness suite on the island have been awarded a £40,000 Scottish Executive grant towards the project – but they can’t go ahead until the council offer them a room to put it in.

The Shapinsay Health and Fitness Action Group were awarded Rural Challenge Fund cash to go towards an £80,000 project to set up a gym on the island.

But Mrs Leslie Lahay from the group said they were still waiting for the council to decide whether they could use a room in the community centre.

Planned November start for Great Western Road housing development

Orkney Housing Association are hoping to start work in November converting the former North Eastern Farmers shop and store at the corner of Pickaquoy Road and Great Western Road into a housing development.

The association envisage creating 17 properties on the site - nine units for elderly on the ground floor and eight units above suitable for small families.

A spokesman said that the Great Western Road corner development would go ahead subject to final funding arrangements and planning approval, adding that detailed plans for the layout of the scheme would be made available the the public over the summer.

Scottish Affairs Select Committee to visit

Members of the House of Commons Select Committee on Scottish Affairs are due to visit Orkney in April.

The committee are scheduled to visit the county on April 15 and 16 as part of their investigation into the operation of Customs and Excise, including the impact in areas like Orkney where the service has been withdrawn.

They are also due to hear evidence about the need for improved air services for the Northern Isles.

£100,000 grant towards NorthLink cattle cassette design

The proposed cattle cassette system Click for enlargement.

The question of how livestock shipments from Orkney and Shetland will be handled by NorthLink was partially answered on Wednesday with the Scottish Executive announcement of a £100,000 grant towards the design costs of the new double-decker livestock transport cassette system.

But there are still fears that the as-yet untried system will not be in place by the October 2002 handover date.

Concerns have also been raised that the grant only covers the design of the cassettes and not the final cost of their construction.

Archive Stories:Executive back NorthLink livestock transport system
NorthLink unveil cattle "cassettes"

Westray in line for school extension

Better changing facilities for Westray may be on the horizon after councillors agreed on Wednesday to set aside money for an extension to Westray school.

At the meeting of the OIC education committee, councillors discussed a proposed £375,000 extension, which would provide changing rooms, a fitness suite and open learning centre under one roof.

It is thought, would attract substantial grant assistance from Sportscotland – estimated at at least £210,000.

NorthLink have selected an English firm to handle all their online bookings and holiday tour reservations, including the recently launched Viking Island Holidays scheme for visitors to Orkney and Shetland.

Anite Travel Systems, based at Slough in Berkshire, already handle bookings for P&O Ferries, P&O Cruises, Hoverspeed, Airtours and First Choice Holidays among others.

NorthLink’s advance booking system will go live in April 2002.

Around 39 Hydro-Electric customers in the West Mainland were without power for around three hours on Tuesday night.

A broken overhead line conductor meant that the 39 customers in and around Hestwall, near the Bay of Skaill, were without power for nearly three hours. Power was also lost to the area around Kirbister in Stromness parish.

HE Operations Manager Mark Rough said that the fault was caused by heavy snow and strong winds.

‘Fly-tipping’ firms get budget shortfall blame

Local businesses avoiding the OIC’s waste collection service have been blamed for a £156,000 budget shortfall. The problems stem from the lack of businesses using the council’s big refuse bins, which are collected at a cost.

Concerns were expressed at Tuesday's islands' council roads and environmental services committee meeting that those not using the service were fly-tipping or illegally using the council’s domestic civic amenity sites.

The lack of income forced the committee to agree to use money from the department’s capital budget to pay off the revenue shortfall.

Weather conditions disrupt Sheriff Court

Weather problems disrupted proceedings at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Tuesday, with Sheriff Colin Scott Mackenzie delayed in Shetland.

It also proved difficult to get a sheriff from the Scottish mainland, but honorary sheriff Bill Wright, from Orkney, was able to stand in at the last minute.

Court went ahead at 1pm on Tuesday – two and a half hours late.

Orkney farmers urge for distance to be taken into support scheme consideration

Orkney farmers are to push for distance from markets to be taken into account when negotiations over LFASS (Less favoured Area Support Scheme) payments for 2003 take place.

At Monday night's AGM of the Orkney branch of the National Farmers Union, members were presented with several suggestions on how to base possible top up LFASS payments.

Among the options discussed were environmental enhancement, on-farm employment, animal health and welfare and gross domestic product. However, the majority of those present agreed that transport costs to isles farmers was probably the most important disadvantage suffered.

New hangar proposed for Kirkwall Airport

A joint project between Orkney Islands Council and Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) could see a new hangar built at Kirkwall Airport.

The OIC’s transportation committee heard on Monday that the present hangar was in very poor condition and that a new hangar could cost around £1.4 million. However, 42 per cent European assistance might be available, the remaining costs being split between HIAL - who were expected to pay two-thirds - and the OIC who would meet the remaining third.

Council officials are to prepare a report on the partnership agreement with HIAL and a project appraisal.

Orkney firms recognised at Scottish Trade Fair

Scottish entrepreneur Michelle Mone presents a Highly Commended certificate to Jenna Hume of Hume Sweet Hume. (Picture: Made in Scotland)

The quality and craftsmanship of two Orkney companies have been recognised at Scotland's International Trade Fair which came to a close in Glasgow this week.

Orphir-based silversmith Peter Rowland of Hrossey Silver took the year's top prestigious award - his silver jug, ladle and two spoons scooping the joint top prize in the Scottish Select competition, winning £500.

Cushions, bags and throws made by Westray firm, Hume Sweet Hume, run by sisters Lizza and Jenna Hume, also caught the attention of judges, receiving a Highly Commended award in the Scottish Gift of the Year Award.

Executive help sought over Orkney Ferries overspend

Orkney Islands Council are to approach the Scottish Executive to discuss the funding arrangements for Orkney's internal ferry service - which is likely to end the year with an overspend of almost £300,000.

Islands' councillors agreed this week that the Executive should be approached about the current shortfall in funding, as well as making adequate provision for future years expenditure.

Members of the transportation committee also recommended that a complete restructuring of the board of Orkney Ferries, should also take place in advance of the internal ferry service being put out to tender.

Councillors oppose Woodwick fish farm

OIC councillors have opposed the siting of four fish farm cages at Woodwick Bay in Evie.

Members of the OIC’s transportation committee heard on Monday afternoon that although they could not grant or refuse the application, they could make their feelings known to the Crown Estate Commissioners who will decide on a seabed lease for the development.

In front of a packed public gallery, councillors agreed to give an unfavourable view to the fish farm plan for Woodwick Bay, because of its visual impact on the area and the potential risk of spreading sea lice from farmed salmon to trout and other wild fish in the burn and bay.

Ferry sailings suspended

Orkney Ferries sailings to the South Isles stopped at 3.15pm on Monday, hit by the weather conditions.

North Isles sailings to Eday, Sanday and Stronsay were also all cancelled due to the worsening weather conditions.

Worsening weather hits flights

The weather caused havoc at Kirkwall Airport on Monday as two flights arrived late and one was cancelled because of worsening weather conditions.

Two flights - both from Inverness - arrived late, and an Edinburgh-Wick-Kirkwall flight was cancelled as the wind got stronger.

A range of archaeological investigations are due to take place this year, part funded by Orkney Islands Council.

The council are proposing to hand over £30,000 to help pay for a range of projects including investigations at the Links of Noltland, Westray; Burrian Broch, North Ronaldsay, the Knowes of Trotty, Harray and Little Howe of Hoxa, South Ronaldsay.

The money comes from from an archaeology fund and councillors at last week's economic development committee considered 15 applications for funds.

Moves towards harnessing the power of the wind, waves and tides in Orkney are being supported by Orkney Islands councillors who have agreed to fund a group set up to promote renewable energy.

Orkney Renewable Forum are due to get £4,500 from the OIC following support by the economic development committee. The group were set up a year ago and promote Orkney as an ideal place for renewable energy developments.

OIC development and protective services director, Mr Jeremy Baster, reported to the committee: "At a time when government programmes and funding for renewable energy are expanding rapidly, OREF can do much to promote Orkney's interests in this field and will be helped in this task by a small amount of core funding from the council."

Work is expected to begin on Stromness pier within the next two weeks, after it was confirmed that Currie Brothers, have been awarded the contract – estimated to be worth in the region of £1.75 million.

Head of Services at Orkney Islands Council, Mr John Orr, told The Orcadian that the contract – which needs to be completed before NorthLink take over the Pentland Firth ferry service on October 1 – involves extending Stromness Pier and raising it by a metre, to allow for the larger ferries commissioned by NorthLink.

“The new vessels have higher decks so need higher fenders,” he explained, adding that separate contracts for a new linkspan and passenger walkway had still to be settled.

Suspected cannabis seized in South Ronaldsay raid

Kirkwall Police have seized a substantial amount of what is suspected to be cannabis during a raid on a house in South Ronaldsay on Friday evening.

Police searching the house under warrant confirmed that they had also recovered a large amount of propagating equipment.

A man was taken into custody but later released pending further enquiries, a police spokesman said this morning.

Ploughing match postponed

The East Mainland Ploughing Match fell foul of Friday’s snowfall.

East Mainland Agricultural Society secretary Mrs Vera Butler said she hoped the event, which should have gone ahead on Saturday, at Corse, St Ola, would now be held sometime in February.

All flights in and out of Kirkwall Airport were grounded on Friday afternoon because of snow.

Flights within Orkney were grounded, as were flights to and from the south as the snow fell steadily all afternoon.

An aircraft which arrived from Inverness was unable to return and after spending the night in Orkney left on Saturday morning. All flights were running normally again on Saturday.

Woodwick Bay fish farm recommended for refusal

Orkney Islands Council officials are recommending that a controversial proposal to site a fish farm at Woodwick Bay in Evie should be refused.

A report on the application which will go before OIC councillors today to contains 42 letters of objection to the scheme being proposed by Aquascot Seafarms Ltd. Many of the objections refer to the adverse effect such a development would have on the environmental setting of Woodwick House hotel at the head of the bay.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency express concern about a salmon farm being sited so close to a burn which has a healthy wild trout population. The agency endorse the view that the presence of salmon farms is linked to the heavier infestation of wild fish by sea lice.