Secret agenda over new terminal - councillor
(From The Orcadian dated December 7, 2000)

A backlash against plans for a £9.5 million ro-ro freight terminal on the edge of Hatston Industrial Estate was mounting this week.

The plans were unveiled at last week’s transportation committee and the supporters of the project hope that the terminal will be ready for the arrival of the new ferries in 2002. Northlink are due to take on the services in October 2002 using new ships. It is proposed that their freight service could be being handled at the new terminal as well as Streamline’s Kirkwall to Invergordon service.

The proposal will have to be ratified by full council next Tuesday and external funds will have to be sought from various bodies including the Scottish Executive but several people hit out at the project this week including Stromness councillor John Brown.

He said the service specification called for a Lerwick, Stromness, Aberdeen route with the vessel visiting Stromness six times a week, with a turnaround time of one hour.

“To build new harbour facilities for, at the very minimum £9.5 million, is hardly justifiable in my view for six hours use per week,” he said. “Is someone trying to pull the wool over the Scottish Executive’s eyes?”

In a letter to this week’s The Orcadian he added: “I will concede that it may be prudent to run a series of simulations to test the docking systems in Stromness, but it is surely gross stupidity to build a brand new harbour before even commissioning the tests. Undoubtedly a secret agenda is being followed by some senior councillors.”

His views were echoed this week on The Orcadian’s website forum amid claims that an “inner circle” of councillors and officials existed, enabling pet projects to be rushed through when it suited them.

“If we let this fiasco go ahead then we are allowing ourselves to be dictated to by some senior officials and councillors, and giving them the green light to waste over £20 million of public money for something that can not be justified economically,” said one contributor.

Another critic to voice his concerns this week was Mr Anthony Duncan who runs a boatyard in Burray.

Mr Duncan suggested that Burray was far better suited than Crowness, being more sheltered and benefiting from deep water – 23 feet at low tide. He said Crowness was not only exposed, but had several reefs that ships had to negotiate before docking safely.

A terminal at Burray would also ensure shorter journey times to Caithness and Invergordon, said Mr Duncan, and he argued that the car and passenger ferries could also be relocated to the area.

“Orkney needs to develop tourism for the future, many more tourists would visit Orkney if the sailing time was reduced,” he said. “To reduce the sailing time, faster ships can be used but this uses more fuel so costs go up. If there is a shorter route this would cut the sailing time while at the same time greatly reduce fuel consumption. The cost of fuel will increase much more in the next 30 years than it has in the last 30 years.”

Mr Duncan said he had told his local councillor Mac Petrie about his concerns and Mr Petrie had been supportive, but when contacted by The Orcadian Mr Petrie would not comment on the issue.