Written evidence submitted by Unst Tunnel Action Group (CISFL0029)

Unst Tunnel Action Group

We are a community organisation based on the island of Unst in Shetland, who are working towards securing subsea tunnels to our island.  For further details of our organisation see…

www.shetlandtunnels.co.uk

Q1 Response

Transport challenges – Firstly we would like to say that the inter-island ferry service has served our island well for over 50 years, and as far as a ferry service goes it is most likely the best that will be achieved.  However, it is not fit for purpose for the needs of our island in the 21st century.  This requires a 21st century solution i.e. subsea tunnels.  We would also like it noted that subsea tunnels have been very successfully utilised as a late 20th century permanent transport solution for many of our international neighbours.

Our current transport challenges relate to…

Weather – ferry services are highly susceptible to weather events, particularly wind.  This frequently leads to difficulties operating the service and service suspension.  Shetland is not known as the windswept isles for nothing!!  With climate change it is likely we will see more unpredictable and severe weather events in the islands, which will decrease service reliability still further.  The solution to this is subsea tunnels.

Fleet and terminal age – The two ferries which serve our island on the Bluemull route are Geira (1988) and Bigga (1991) aged 37 and 34 years respectively.  They are operated under a number of grandfather rights for example passenger accommodation is below the waterline and there is no disabled access to either passenger facilities or toilets.  In addition, they do not meet current environmental legislation, onboard equipment has become obsolete, and availability of spares is an increasing difficulty.  Terminals were constructed in the 1970’s for the first generation of inter-island ferries in Shetland (purchased second-hand from Faroe).  No significant upgrades have been undertaken since that time, and they are a significant point of failure as no alternative for vehicular access exists.  Therefore, both the ferries and terminals serving our island are well outside their intended lifespan.  In addition, Shetland Islands Council can no longer guarantee an alternative vessel to cover during periods of drydock or vessel breakdown.

Capacity – the Geira can carry up to 11 cars and the Bigga 14 (reduced from 16 when she was commissioned).  In addition, following an incident on the Bigga last year vehicles over 3.5 tonnes now have to be secured at all times while travelling on all ferries operating between Unst and Yell, further reducing capacity and lengthening vessel turnaround times.  A significant increase in traffic due to larger vessels on Yell Sound, including increased commercial traffic (a lorry now takes at least 4 car spaces on the ferry, and an articulated vehicle at least 8), coupled with major construction projects such as the Spaceport have led to major capacity issues on the Bluemull Sound route, with frequent long queues at both terminals as well as many journeys being either foregone or abandoned. 

Crewing – this has been a major issue in recent times with Shetland Islands Council having numerous crew vacancies and relying on agency staff.  This leads to sudden service suspensions as not enough crew are present to operate the vessel. Shift revisions and a recruitment drive by the Council have been undertaken, but this remains a real and current threat to our ferry service.

Timetabling – no timetable will ever suit everyone.  However, there are significant periods throughout the day with few or no ferries.  This includes lunchtime when both vessels tie up, periods where only one vessel is operating and sharing vessels with Fetlar.  Timetabling issues also exist between Yell and Bluemull sounds with either significant wait times or insufficient time to cross Yell safely.  Added to weather, vessel breakdown/drydock issues, capacity and crewing, this reinforces the inability of a ferry service to serve the needs of our island.  Subsea tunnels would give permanent 24-hour access, immediately removing these challenges.

Economic development – insufficient transport connections and reliance on a ferry service impacts all economic development on Unst. Currently all traffic is significantly hindered by restrictions due to ferry timetabling and service suspension. This is a significant burden for businesses in terms of cost and time and restricts mobility of labour both for those living on, or operating businesses from Unst, and those seeking to work on Unst.  Islanders and businesses are charged a premium for travel and wait times to get to Unst, and many companies refuse to send workers to the island at all.  As an example, a worker leaving Lerwick at 9am would not get to Unst until 11.30am, at the earliest, and would have to leave at 3pm, at the latest, to return to Lerwick for 5pm. Giving a maximum 3.5 hour working day on the island, for which those hiring them will be charged 8 hours. This assumes all ferries are operating to normal timetables and have capacity to take their vehicle, which is not always the case.  There are similar issues for Unst residents and businesses working in other areas.  These restrictions and uncertainties inhibit and prevent economic development on Unst.

Social mobility – Similar issues exist in relation to social activities.  Even attending functions on neighbouring islands e.g. Yell and Fetlar is difficult and an early exit inevitable. 

Access to services – restrictions due to the ferry service limit the ability of island residents to access services, more so as these are continually becoming more centralised.  This is a major issue for health services limiting times residents can attend appointments and leading to cancelations due to ferry disruption.  Delays in emergency evacuation/inability to evacuate are also issues, and if travelling to Aberdeen for hospital appointments, residents must stay on Mainland Shetland the night before to catch flights from Sumburgh, with no guarantee of being able to return home.

Population retention – following a sharp drop due to the closure of the RAF base at Saxavord, the population of Unst has remained relatively stable.  This is mainly due to over 60 MOD houses being sold off as private and social housing, which has brought newcomers and returning natives to the island.  This population is however aging, and transport restrictions discourage people from settling on the island.

Communities that would benefit from fixed links – our knowledge in this area relates to Shetland.  Unst, Yell, Whalsay, Bressay and Fetlar would benefit from subsea tunnels.  Permanent fixed 24-hour access would be transformational for any/all of these islands, opening up economic and social opportunities, providing unrestricted access to employment, services and social activities for residents and visitors, and sustaining and growing population and economic activity.  In terms of Unst, tunnels on both Bluemull and Yell Sound would be required to ensure 21st century transport links to our island.

Downside of fixed links - the only downside we can see is a misconception, particularly in the public sector, that subsea tunnels are a new, never been done before, groundbreaking engineering process.  Our answer to that is look around you.  Our neighbours, particularly to the north, have been very successfully constructing subsea tunnels for decades.  There is nothing groundbreaking about what we are fighting for, which is well within the technical capabilities of those regularly undertaking this type of project.

Q2 Response

Potential return on public investment – firstly we would like to highlight our geography.  When looking at a traditional map of the UK/Europe, Shetland is often portrayed as a distant speck to the north or has even been known to be given its own little box in the corner (or been omitted completely).  However, if the world is viewed from above, looking down from the north, or indeed from space, Shetland’s strategic position in the North Atlantic, and more particularly the location of Unst, is immediately apparent.  We are a strategic defence asset.

With the recent increased focus and pledged additional spending on defence, ensuring 21st century transport links to Unst, with 24-hour permanent access to the island, could be a very wise investment for the UK Government.  To achieve this, subsea tunnels would be required on both Bluemull and Yell Sounds.

In addition, the Saxavord Spaceport, located on Unst, is scheduled to undertake Europe’s first vertical rocket launch in 2026.  Enhancing transport links to this facility should also be in the interests of the UK Government.

Costs of current ferry service – currently ferry fares only cover around 10% of the actual running costs of the Shetland inter-island ferry service, with the deficit, currently around £25m a year, being paid by the Scottish Government. It should be noted that this is a threat to our current ferry service as deficit funding is only provided on an annual basis, and there is no guarantee that this will continue indefinitely.  In addition, no capital repayment either has been, or is ever likely to be made, through revenue generation from ferry operations within Shetland.

As discussed above both the ferries and terminals which serve Unst are well past their intended lifespan.  They require to be replaced either by new ferries and terminals, which we do not want, or more permanent, reliable and efficient subsea tunnels. 

It is likely that the replacement cost for our current ferry service will be well into the £100’s of millions.  We base this on the costs for the current Fair Isle ferry project.  In the SIC commissioned report of 2016, the estimated cost of replacing the Fair Isle ferry and terminals was £5.75m.  This cost has now risen to an estimated £45.4m, for a 12 passenger lo-lo MCA workboat code compliant vessel and associated terminals.  A much smaller and less complex vessel then would be required to serve our island.

In addition, as detailed above it is likely that income generated through a ferry service would continue to raise only around 10% of revenue costs, with a 90% revenue subsidy requirement and no capital repayment.

In contrast subsea tunnels funded through public/private partnership, utilising both public investment and publicly sourced/guaranteed loans, financed by toll payments has been successful in Faroe, and we see no reason why this could not work in the UK.

Furthermore, costs for constructing subsea tunnels currently being quoted within political circles in the UK are far beyond those quoted to us by Faroese and Norwegian tunnelling experts: they are not even in the same ballpark.  Notwithstanding this, subsea tunnels will completely slash the revenue costs of operating a transport service to our island, or any other, and provide opportunity to recoup capital costs, which is something that will never be achieved with a ferry service.

In addition, as previously stated there is no guarantee that the revenue deficit of our ferry service will continue to be funded.  Nor any plan, realistic costing, or budget in place for ferry replacement, and even if these were to magically appear, our communities and our children will still face the same ongoing ferry replacement saga every 20-30 years.  Subsea tunnels will provide permanent transport links to our island and remove all threats and challenges posed by the current or any future ferry service.

From the above it can be seen that beyond the opportunity for transformational change within island communities, subsea tunnels could also provide significant ongoing savings to the public purse.

Role of the UK Government – despite transport being a devolved issue, precedent has already been set for UK Government financing of inter-island transport infrastructure in Scotland.  We are of course referring to the £26.8m of UK Government funding secured for the Fair Isle ferry project.  In addition, defence of our nation is a reserved power and remains the responsibility of the UK Parliament and Government in Westminster.  We believe that developing subsea tunnels is an area where the UK and Scottish Governments should seek to work conjunctively, for the benefit of our entire nation.

Q3

Lessons learned from Faroe – we have visited Faroe and were both very impressed and envious of what has been achieved by our neighbour to the north.  On returning to Shetland, we wrote a report entitled Subsea Tunnels – Are We Crazy?  This report can be found on our website…

www.shetlandtunnels.co.uk

With a direct link here…

Yell and Unst Tunnel Action Groups release report on Faroese findings - Unst and Yell Tunnels

The Faroese have been extremely forward thinking in their approach to transport connectivity within their island group.  When we in Shetland were busy buying their second-hand ro-ro ferries in the 1970’s, they had already started tunnelling.  They now have 22 tunnels including four which are subsea.  In fact, the inspiration for the title of our report came from a geologist we met in the Faroes who said…

Back in the 1980’s when we first started to speak about subsea tunnels, I thought we were crazy but look what we’ve achieved.

We hope that, shortly, we will be able to say something similar, not only about our own island, but also in a wider Shetland and Scottish context.

As we only have 3,000 words to provide this response, we suggest our Faroe report is considered in full, as well as our recently published pre-seismic study undertaken by Norwegian consultants Norconsult.  This is available on our website or can be linked to below…

Microsoft Word - 52502442-RAP-01 Shetland Subsea Road Tunnels - GAP analysis.docx

You may wish to note that this report was entirely funded by the communities of Unst and Yell, showing the commitment of island residents to secure subsea tunnels to make our islands more resilient and a more attractive place to live, work, visit and invest. 

We are currently fundraising to undertake seismic studies on both Bluemull and Yell Sounds.

Summary points from Faroe report…

      There is nothing new about underwater tunnels.

      First Faroese tunnel opened 60 years ago, first subsea 2003.

      11% of the Faroese road network is now underground.

      88% of the Faroese population are linked through one road network.

      Details of the opening dates/length of Faroes subsea tunnels are below.

For comparison the current estimated length of tunnels between Unst, Yell and the Shetland Mainland are…

Bluemull Sound (Unst to Yell) 2.0 – 2.5 km

Yell Sound (Yell to Mainland) 4.5 – 5.0 km

      The overwhelming message received in Faroe was if you are serious about any tunnelling project, the first thing you need to do is map the geology.

      Whilst sceptics worried tunnels would suck the lifeblood out of island communities, the opposite appears to be occurring.

      Faroes population is rising, as is population in areas that are connected by subsea tunnels and bridges.

      The same effect has been seen within Shetland for islands with bridges, namely Burra, Trondra and Muckle Roe. 

      In contrast population is falling on Faroese islands without tunnels/bridges, as is also the case in many Scottish islands.

      The social impact of subsea tunnels in Faroe appears positive in terms of population retention, repopulation, age profile, access to employment/services, leisure activities and housing development.

      Both Faroese and Scottish island economies are highly fisheries dependent. Within the Northern Isles of Shetland, seafood accounts for a third of all employment and half of all male jobs.

      Current ferry service hinders movement of goods/labour and is a significant burden for businesses/service providers in terms of additional cost and time.

      Report concerning construction of another subsea tunnel in Faroe concluded this was significantly more environmentally sustainable than ferries. We would anticipate a similar conclusion for tunnels on both Bluemull and Yell Sounds.

      Publicly owned tunnel companies operate all four subsea tunnels in Faroe separate from the Government.

      All subsea tunnels have been funded through public/private partnership. Including direct public funding varying from 59% to 15% of investment cost. Public investment in the latter two tunnels was based on the level of public subsidy being provided to the ferry service, with loans guaranteed by the Faroese Government.

      Tolls are charged on all subsea tunnels in Faroe. These are used to pay for the operation of the tunnels and repay loans.

      Loans for the tunnels to Vagar and Bordoy are fully repaid, with repayment made several years ahead of predictions. This was, in part, due to higher traffic volumes than estimated prior to opening.

      Tunnel tolls in Faroe are not that dissimilar to ferry fares in Shetland. However, it should be noted that ferry fares only cover 10% of the actual running costs of the ferry service,

      Funding of subsea tunnels through public/private partnership, utilising both public investment and publicly sourced/guaranteed loans, financed by toll payments is certainly working in Faroe.

      We have never suggested that tunnels to Unst and Yell should either be fully publicly funded nor toll free.

      We would like all potential funding routes that could make tunnels to our island a reality explored, and we believe that the Faroese model is certainly one that should be examined in more detail.

      Are we crazy?  We would say not and prefer the phrase forward thinking.

We would strongly encourage you to look at the Faroese model in more depth and/or take a trip to Faroe to see for yourselves what can and has been achieved.

We are also happy to present in more detail to your committee the work we have undertaken in relation to subsea tunnels and/or we would welcome you in Unst. 

While fixed links may not be a feasible solution for all islands in Scotland, we believe it is the solution for us. 

What we have been told both in Faroe and other areas where subsea tunnels have been developed is that the hardest tunnel to achieve is the first. Once the concept is proven more will follow.  We would be happy to go first and believe that subsea tunnels on Bluemull and Yell Sounds would be both be both strategically and financially beneficial to the UK, providing very good return for any potential public investment.

January 2026