Council pledges support for hospital project

After meeting in private yesterday, Orkney Islands Council’s policy and resources committee has recommended that substantial support should be offered to NHS Orkney to help enable the development of a new hospital in Kirkwall.

NHS Orkney is currently considering three sites for the hospital, at Corse West, Grainbank and Scapa. At each of the sites infrastructure to improve road access is likely to be required, along with further enabling works such as drainage.

To assist with this, the committee recommended that the council is prepared, in principle, to provide funding of up to £1.5 million towards infrastructure costs, once detailed proposals are made and assessed.

An agreement is already in place that up to 24 acres of land in council-ownership at Corse West should be offered for sale to NHS Orkney at the District Valuer’s valuation, if this is chosen as the site for the new hospital.

In addition, the committee recommended that around seven acres of council-owned land at Grainbank should be offered for sale to NHS Orkney, again at the District Valuers’ valuation, should this site be selected.

OIC convener, Councillor Steven Heddle said: “The new hospital is of huge importance to Orkney.

“NHS Orkney is in the process of deciding its preferred site for the hospital. Ahead of that decision we felt it important to show our commitment to support a project that will benefit people throughout our community.”

The committee’s recommendation will be considered at a special meeting of the full council next Tuesday, January 28.