Housing and connectivity explored at fourth Shetland Partnership Plan session
Session 4 brought partners together to explore housing, transport and digital connectivity, and what they mean for Shetland’s future.
Work to shape the next Shetland Partnership Plan continued on Wednesday 7th October, when 58 people representing 35 organisations took part in the fourth session. With 45 attending at Mareel, Lerwick, and a further 13 joining online, the session brought together voices from across the islands, including public services, Community Councils, Community Development Organisations and the third sector.
The session focussed on housing, transport and digital connectivity – three closely connected issues that influence where people can live, the opportunities they can access and whether communities can thrive.
Shetland needs more suitable and affordable homes in the places where they are most needed. High building costs, a limited private rental market and the cost of heating existing homes add to the pressures facing households and employers recruiting staff.
Transport connects people to work, education, healthcare and community life. However, affordability, reliability, capacity and ageing infrastructure create challenges for journeys within Shetland and to mainland Scotland.
Digital connectivity supports business, remote working, learning and public services. Although coverage has improved, broadband and mobile services remain uneven across Shetland, while recent outages have highlighted the importance of reliable and resilient networks.
These issues need to be considered together. Suitable housing is essential to attracting and retaining people, but homes also need reliable connections to jobs, services and opportunities. Weakness in one area can deepen inequalities and limit progress in the others.
Participants heard an overview of the evidence before discussing the challenges and exploring what a thriving and resilient Shetland could look like in 2043, including where collective action could make the greatest difference.
Find out more on our Session 4: Housing, Transport and Digital Connectivity page.
The full evidence papers, a shorter combined summary and the session summary note are available to download below.