Shetland Islands Council 'in negotiations' over leasing firm

The council's North Ness headquarters are known locally as The White House

Shetland Islands Council is understood to be in negotiations which could see it take over a leasing company which owns several prominent buildings.

Shetland Leasing and Property Developments (Slap) owns properties such as the council's North Ness headquarters, Shetland College and the NAFC Marine Centre.

Twenty of Shetland's 22 councillors met behind closed doors last week to discuss a property matter.

No-one involved has commented.

Slap is owned by Shetland Charitable Trust.

The talks are understood to include the sale of Slap and its assets.

Repair work

Council chief executive Maggie Sandison would neither confirm or deny talks were taking place.

Shetland Charitable Trust would also not comment, and Slap chairman Michael Thomson could not be contacted.

The North Ness headquarters site is known locally as The White House.

It cost £7.3m and was opened in 2012, but was vacated in 2016 amid concerns over the building's structural integrity.

However, testing has since confirmed no major faults.

Some staff recently returned, but the majority remain at other locations while repair work is carried out.

The NAFC Marine Centre is an educational and scientific institute in Scalloway.