Council assists proposed projects in Birsay and North Ronaldsay

Plans for two “meritorious” community projects in Birsay and North Ronaldsay moved a step forward last week.

At Thursday’s meeting of the Community Development Fund sub-committee (21 October), Councillors agreed to submit funding applications on behalf of the Birsay Heritage Trust and North Ronaldsay Trust to the second stage of the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.

The projects successfully passed the stage one assessment, also submitted on their behalf by the Council, earlier this year.

The Birsay Heritage Trust hope to repair the deteriorating historic structures at the former wartime airfield HMS Tern and provide heritage interpretation, at a total estimated project cost of £1,17M with a RCGF grant request of £843,744.

Many of the original buildings survive today, including the B-listed control tower, and the Trust have developed a long-term vision to develop the site which includes conserving and repairing 11 historic structures, improving access across the managed site, provision of a welcome and orientation visitor facility including toilets/showers, glamping pods providing visitor rental accommodation, a seasonal campervan site, discretely located behind earthwork “bunds”.

It is anticipated this will create seven jobs with training and volunteering opportunities.

The North Ronaldsay Trust (NRT) hope to restore redundant property and land at Treb on the island at a total project cost of £1.51M. They have applied for grant funding of £985,460 from the RCGF.

The NRT, with assistance from the Scottish Land Fund, acquired the North Ronaldsay property of Treb earlier in 2021. The site comprises interconnected buildings with a house, shop space, store, and a large workshop, all currently in poor condition. There are two additional derelict standalone sheds and approximately eight acres of surrounding unused farmland.

Historically, Treb was a focus of activity on the island and NRT hopes to reclaim its purpose as a “Community Resource Hub” which they have named “The Pund” after the stone shelters used to corral the island’s seaweed eating sheep.

NRT has engaged a consultant and is currently developing a new 10-year Island Development Plan covering the period 2022 to 2032, with the first project being the planned redevelopment of the buildings at Treb.

The Pund is an intergenerational project to restore redundant property and land into a productive workspace hub and develop new build facilities, creating a dedicated hub for on-island processing of the island’s sheep flock – wool, meat and skins - as well as providing research opportunities into the rare seaweed-eating sheep. It is planned that the “resource hub” would house a heritage centre, events/meeting room, dwelling, office, plus a health and wellbeing centre, for use by NHS Orkney, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance Service, and a community gym.

Sub-committee Chair, Councillor Harvey Johnston, said: “These are meritorious projects, and we support them wholeheartedly.”