FETLAR COMMUNITY Development Plan A LIVING DOCUMENT It is intended that this be a ”living document” and will be updated as goals are reached and when changes are required, so as to best reflect the progress made on the island and of the aspirations of the Fetlar community. Community consultation events will be held at least once per year to seek input from the community, but the community should feel free to put forward ideas and suggestions at any time relating to the content of this plan. Any changes will be considered as draft until the updated plan is ratified by the community. FETLAR DEVELOPMENTS LTD This plan has been produced in consultation with the community of Development Worker - Robert Thomson Fetlar to guide the future Fetlar Hall, Fetlar, Tel 01957 733369 Mobile 07760 767433 Skype fetlardl development of the island Introduction Marketing and promotion WEBSITE A full list of all newsletters is also The website created for the island at available for download from the www.fetlar.org has been successful in website. informing both visitors and prospective residents. The mailing list now runs to FETLAR BOOKLET several hundred subscribers. The website is being continually developed Virtually all of these have now been This updated development plan, introduced in September 2013, aims to give to reflect local developments. distributed. An updated version is direction to future work to help develop the island. Building on the very successful available from the website. A more start which has been made over the past few years, in bringing the island, back comprehensive Fetlar guide book from near terminal depopulation. could provide an income stream for anyone taking this forward. It is based on extensive community consultation and represents the needs and aspirations of the Community as a whole. Building on work which has already met MAPS AND INFORMATION a number of the communities priorities, it reflects the significant changes which have taken place since the first development plan was written. Reaffirming those The RSPB assisted by FDL & Fetlar priorities which have still to be met and those new ones which have been Museum Trust have for 2012 produced identified. posters and a leaflet incorporating a map, information on Wildlife, and It will be used to guide the work of Fetlar Developments Ltd and the other Responsible Access. These are now organisations who have a crucial role in supporting island life. widely available throughout Shetland. Volunteers from the RSPB compiled There will be regular ongoing reviews to update the plan to as well as possible The webcam which was supplied by during a sabbatical the information represent the needs of the Community. promote Shetland and which was one of the most popular items on the required to produce a map with website has recently failed. As the information of the various walks on webcam is an excellent promotional Fetlar. This is to be taken forward by INDEX tool seeking funding for a suitable the RSPB in cooperation with FMT. replacement must be a high priority. The maps should be available in 2014. 01 - Front cover 13 - Action Chart 02 - Introduction & index 14 - Renewables & energy saving The support of an intern allowed the Further marketing and promotional 03 - Background 15 - Brough Lodge Trust development for the website of a effort will be available through the 04 - Achievements 16 - Textiles & Crafts media area with press packs, which Fetlar Tourism Development Initiative 05 - Achievements (cont.) 17 - Housing are supplemented by information 06 - Economic Development 18 - Care & Medical sheets on specialist areas e.g. The red ACTIONS 07 - Transport 19 - Fetlar Museum Trust necked phalarope 08 - Pier & breakwater 20 - Community areas/ Leisure Continue to market and promote Fetlar 09 - Tourism 21 - Fetlar Fire Service NEWSLETTER through as many mediums as possible 10 - IT & Broadband 22 - Education making the best use of any funding 11 - Crofting and Farming 23 - Marketing & promotion Fetlar Developments continue to available. 12 - Action Chart 24 - Back cover produce regular newsletters at approx. quarterly intervals. these are circulated locally and to the website mailing list. page 2 page 23 Education Background In 2009 when the first Fetlar from its low point of 48 in early 2009 Fetlar Primary School has now fully more new families and couples looking Development Plan was implemented to and would be significantly higher if reopened after operating as a nursery to have children, to the island. Also to guide the regeneration of the island, for the 2010-2011 school year, due to a ensure that transport provision is things were looking very bleak. The year during which there were no school available and affordable, to allow pupils population of Fetlar was in steady age children. Regrettably, because of to continue to attend School in Unst. THE POPULATION HAS decline. Only the last initiative in the temporary closure of the Primary RECOVERED FROM mid 1970’s having been effective in department, the school cook was made temporarily stemming the downward ONLY 48 IN SPRING redundant resulting in the loss of an trend, which had affected the island important local employment opportunity. 2009 TO 81 IN for the past 150 years. That respite SEPTEMBER 2013 As of September 2013 there are 7 pupils was brought about by significant at Fetlar Primary school. There is the infrastructure investment in both the current possibility of several more introduction of the new ro-ro ferry there was more housing available. children of primary age or below, service and the building of the arriving in the next 12 months. However Stakkafletts housing estate. This The recovery, is to date, still very without a ongoing number of incoming allowed much better access to the fragile and its continuance will depend families or new births on the island, the island as well as significant housing on a number of factors including the roll will decrease in the medium term, as opportunities. Many previous residents hoped for effects on business and the pupils move on to secondary education. Actions took the opportunity to return with economy coming from the completion their partners and families. However of the pier. The upgraded high speed At present Secondary education is Continue to target families with children the lack of diversified employment broadband system building on the provided by default at the Anderson or planning families as our prime source opportunities has been an ongoing existing pilot scheme should provide High School in Lerwick, requiring of inward migrants. to ensure we issue for retaining a sustainable an incentive for IT based businesses to children, from S1 on, to board away maintain or increase school role. population. The lack of a pier or consider relocation to Fetlar, offering from home during the week. Recently, harbour meant Fetlar was never able further scope for job creation. some parents have made placing Support the school and parent council to develop a fishing industry in line requests at Baltasound Junior High. This in providing the best possible education with other communities in Shetland. Tourism related businesses which had has been made possible after some to pupils Neither was Fetlar in a good position suffered due at least in part to a lack constructive cooperative work between to fully exploit the more recent of support infrastructure, are now SIC departments, resulting in a zero Seek to ensure continued access to developments in Aquaculture, which starting to benefit from the ongoing cost solution to the SIC. It does however Secondary education at Baltasound have proved crucial to the wider cafe facility, now being run by the mean that parents have to meet some school, as an alternative to boarding at Shetland economy. private sector and the reinvigorated modest transport costs. the AHS. Interpretive centre with its excellent In the last few years however, with craft shop and updated visitor Ongoing cost saving proposals by the active positive intervention from the information. SIC continue to cast doubts, about the local authority and other agencies, future options for Fetlar pupils choosing including the decision to construct a However an ongoing issue for the to attend Secondary school in pier and berthing facility and the recovery will continue to be the lack of Baltasound, rather than Lerwick. broadband pilot project, the suitable housing. Without an ongoing increase in provision any recovery will The ongoing challenges for the population decline has been halted be seriously restricted as housing and community are to continue to attract and reversed. The population currently stands at 81 (September 2013) up economic development are inexorably linked. page 22 page 3 Achievements to date Fetlar Fire Service Extensive Community consultation has Fetlar has a fire station with a small With recent changes to the been undertaken resulting in the first appliance . It is staffed by a number of organization of the H&I fire service it is Development plan being produced in retained firefighters, under the important to ensure that there are early 2009 and this latest version in 2012 command of a local watch leader and enough trained staff on the island to up to two team leaders provide a reliable, credible service. A dramatic increase in population from a low point of only 48 residents to the All retained staff are paid a retainer and present 81 an increase of 69%. In doing all training is paid for. It can therefore so we have also lowered the age profile A Local tourist information point has provide an important additional form of of the community. been established within the waiting room income for islanders. at Hamars Ness. Including the provision The new pier and breakwater has been Should the station not be retained, the of a vending machine.