Press Release
Work at Walls Pier stops temporarily
Work on the Council’s new Pier at Walls has halted temporarily due to resourcing difficulties. It is anticipated that construction will resume in April 2012.
Robert Sinclair, Executive Manager of Capital Programme Service commented, “Progress on the new pier at Walls has fallen significantly behind programme and with the onset of worsening weather, that trend would be difficult to reverse with arrangements as they are. We have agreed with the contractor that work should stop meantime. We intend to start work again in April and that will give some time to consider how best to proceed”.
Work on the new pier began in April 2011, when the contract was awarded to Inverness-based Airport Civil Engineering Ltd.
Martin Anderson, Managing Director of Airport Civil Engineering said: “With the quantity of construction work underway in Shetland just now, and the finite pool of skilled labour, we’ve had difficulties in resourcing this project, which has naturally resulted in delays. It seems sensible, under the circumstances, to stop work while the situation is resolved”.
Chairman of the Council’s Harbour Board, Robert Henderson, said: “The Harbour Board monitors the projects within its remit very closely and I’ve been concerned with progress on the Walls Pier Project for some time.
"Having discussed the current situation with the officers that are dealing with the project, I’m confident that the necessary steps are being taken to ensure that work will resume again as soon as possible.”