Pontoon project for Shapinsay receives OIC approval

The OIC’s development and infrastructure committee has given their approval for a project, put forward by the Shapinsay Development Trust, to provide pontoon facilities on the island.

A report before members yesterday, Tuesday, stated the trust would pay for the 30-metre-long pontoon, which would be capable of berthing two yachts or tenders.

However, an estimated £2,000 from the council’s miscellaneous piers and harbour revenue account will be required to assess the final design and the pontoon’s integration onto the north side of the existing pier.

The committee heard that the single module design would allow the pontoon to be lifted out the water during winter months and periods of poor weather.

The report states: “Having considered the very modest scope of the project and the study data as it pertains to the actual position of the pontoon, it is assessed by officers that the risk of damage to the pier is minimal and certainly no more so from the berthing of a boat in the same location.

“The risk to the pontoon itself is low and that is a matter for the trust itself to accommodate.”