The cost of replacing airfield terminal buildings on two of Orkney’s north isles has soared beyond £1 million – due to the price of finding accommodation for contractors.
The new terminals at Eday’s London Airport and Westray Airfield have been given the thumbs up from councillors despite concerns about the sky-high costs involved.
The combined price of the construction projects was put at just over £1.38million, with much of that put down to accommodation for the construction teams.
For comparison, the council has contractors replacing the terminals in Papa Westray and Stronsay at a cost of £964,000.
Why are Eday and Westray airports being done up?
Orkney Islands Council has a programme under way which will see the terminal buildings at six isles airfields replaced.
Two have been completed, while Papa Westray and Stronsay projects are ongoing.
This is needed because the terminals have become old and unfit for purpose.
The new ones would also provide separate rooms for passengers and airfield staff – a feature necessary in the case of an emergency.
Why is it so dear?
As the licence-holder for the airfields, the council has a responsibility to update and improve them.
However, these projects have been carried out over nearly 10 years.
At a meeting of the council’s policy and resources committee, councillor Steven Heddle was straightforward is asking “how so dear?”
Mr Heddle cited an old report from 2022, which stated four terminal buildings could be replaced for around £760,000.
He also recalled that the much larger Kirkwall Airport cost only £3.4m to build… However, he admitted this was 20 years ago.
Rising costs put down to ‘significant’ rise in price of materials and lack of competition among contractors
Gareth Waterson, the council’s director for enterprise and sustainable regeneration said the cost increases partly came down to a “significant” rise in the cost of materials.
But an added burden had been involved in having builders from the Orkney mainland go out to the islands.
Those costs would include travel time and accommodation.
Mr Wasterson said there is “ample work” for Orkney’s contractors.
But this has resulted in a “lack of competition, particularly for getting jobs done on-island”, Mr Waterson said.
Westray to Papa Westray is the shortest flight in the world:
While some of these islands would have contractors already there, Mr Waterson said they would only be expected to pick up sub-contracting work.
Councillors heard the local authority struggled to get contractors for the work the Papa Westray and Stronsay Terminals.
It expects to see similar difficulties finding contractors for the new projects too.
While councillors approved the plans, this item will still has to go to full council.
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