Arthur (Sandy) Robertson at Clouston’s Pier (F Grahame)

Local Stromness resident Arthur (Sandy) Robertson who has termed the ongoing upgrade to sewage works at Clouston’s Close ‘Quango funded vandalism’ has shared his views with The Orkney News.

Sandy explained that the historic Clouston’s pier is the last working pier in Stromness. The adjacent noust is also affected by the placing of 7 concrete platforms put in to hold down plastic piping for sewage.

Arthur said:

“We have U shaped concrete weights, covered with chippings and seven by 9 tonne concrete, rope & wire mattresses & a hazard to those seeking to use a privately owned pier, is a huge “diffuser” weighing in at 3 tonnes (guesstimate) & standing a metre or so high on the seabed right at the approach to the steps or the end of this fisherman owned & operated pier.”

” I do not blame the contractors they have to follow these quite ridiculous, over engineered, hair brained nonsense thought up by whom and passed by whom?”

The works are part of Scottish Waters upgrade of the sewage facilities in this area of Stromness. Improvements that were much needed. Sandy has no complaint with the upgrade of the sewage facilities. His complaint is that the solution that has been arrived at for Cloustons’s Pier will seriously limit the usage of the pier and the noust . And there is even a proposal to back fill the area where the concrete platforms are thus seriously limiting access even more.

The Orkney News has been unable to get any comment from Orkney Islands Council so far but we will update our readers if/when we receive one.

You can watch Sandy’s interview here:

Reporter: Fiona Grahame