Session 4: Housing, Transport and Digital Connectivity

Session 4 of the Shetland Partnership Plan development process took place on Wednesday 7 October 2026 at Mareel, Lerwick. The theme was Housing, Transport and Digital Connectivity – the third of the five thematic sessions in the process – bringing together three closely connected issues central to Shetland’s next Partnership Plan.

Shetland’s housing system is under growing pressure: there are not enough suitable and affordable homes in the places where they are most needed, while high building costs make it difficult to increase supply. The size and condition of existing homes, a limited private rental market and high heating costs add to this challenge.

Transport creates opportunity and connects people to work, education, healthcare, services and community life. Shetland has an extensive network of roads, buses, ferries and air services, but affordability, reliability, ageing infrastructure and the cost of maintaining services across dispersed islands all present significant challenges.

Digital connectivity is now essential to everyday life, business and the delivery of public services. Although coverage has improved, the quality and reliability of broadband and mobile services still vary considerably across Shetland. Recent outages have also underlined the importance of resilience as homes, businesses and services become increasingly dependent on digital networks.

These issues need to be considered together. The availability of housing can determine whether people are able to stay in, return to or move to Shetland. Transport and digital connections influence where people can live, the jobs and services they can access, and whether communities and businesses can thrive. Weakness in any one area can deepen inequalities and limit progress in the others.

The session examined what the evidence means for Shetland’s future. Participants heard a short overview before taking part in group discussions, exploring the challenges, the work already under way and where collective action could make the greatest difference.

The full housing, transport and digital connectivity evidence papers, a shorter combined summary and the Session 4 summary note are available to download below.