Public drop-in sessions will take place early next month to update island residents as work progresses to consider their future connectivity options.
Over a thousand responses were received to a recent survey, which asked questions around people’s current travel behaviour and experiences. The headline responses relating to each individual island will be shared with communities at a series of face-to-face and online sessions in early March.
People will have the chance to hear more about the process and see data relating to their own island and ferry route, as well as information provided through the survey. They’ll also have the opportunity to provide additional feedback and ask any further questions they may have of the team.
The information received will help form the basis of a robust Strategic Business Case, which Councillors will consider later in the summer. They’ll be asked to make decisions on which options will go forward for more detailed appraisal. At that stage, further engagement with island residents and the wider public will take place.
Representatives from the Council’s Programme Team and consultants Stantec, COWI and Mott MacDonald will be at the drop-in sessions, which will be held at:
- Mon 3rd March – Bressay Hall – 3.30pm-7.30pm
- Tues 4th March – Mid Yell Hall – 3.30pm-7.30pm
- Wed 5th March – Fetlar Hall, 4.00pm-7.00pm and Baltasound Hall, 3.30pm-7.30pm
- Thurs 6th March – Symbister Hall – 3.30pm-7.30pm (for Whalsay and Skerries)
Online events are being arranged for Foula and Papa Stour following discussions with those communities.
Specific engagement with younger people is also underway, with the support of the Council’s Youth Services Team, as well as with the islands’ key businesses and industry bodies.
Councillor Moraig Lyall, Chair of the Council’s Environment and Transport Committee, said: “I’m very pleased to see these sessions taking place, as it’s critical we work closely with our island communities as this project moves forward.
“We need to be sure that the earlier online survey has satisfactorily captured as much information as possible on the current experiences of islanders and ferry users, as this helps us build our ‘case for change’, so I’d encourage folk to take some time and drop by the events.”