The campaign for a new building to replace a care centre for adults with special needs in Shetland moved a step closer to reality yesterday.
Councillors gave the project their blessing in the last full meeting of Shetland Islands Council before the summer recess, unanimously endorsing the decision of two committees last week to push ahead with a £5.6 million purpose-built centre.
More than a dozen representatives of the Shetland Special Needs Action Group (SSNAG) gave a warm round of applause after the decision was waved through.
Cecil Smith, chairman of the local authority’s social services committee, has set a “rigorous” timetable for the project which could see construction work on the former hockey pitch at Seafield in Lerwick commencing in 2015.
The new “hub” will bring together day care services currently divided between the nearby Eric Gray centre and council premises next to the town’s Anderson High School.
One of the campaigners, Rebecca Sinclair, said: “I’m just so happy. Faith in humanity totally restored. I’m so chuffed for all the current Eric Gray users and the knowledge that upcoming users are going to have what they need is just the best feeling. This is a really good day!”
The SIC now intends to borrow the money needed to build the new centre – though it will also explore “all avenues” for external funding.
Community health and social care director Simon Bokor-Ingram said there was “no reason we can’t go back and look” at the design of the building to reduce the cost while ensuring that it contains 19,375 sq ft of floor space.