http://shet.news/x1g1f Copied! SOME planning services in Shetland have been temporarily suspended in the hope of allowing staff more time to process a backlog of applications. The free planning duty officer and pre-application enquiry services were halted on Monday (22 February), and they are only due to return at the end of March. The council’s planning manager Iain McDiarmid said the service is suffering from staff shortages and a heavy workload. 3 of 14Adverts He said the service is to focus on its statutory function of processing applications. “This will benefit everyone in the long term, by allowing our officers to continue to provide the best possible service when faced with an ever increasing workload and the additional pressures of home schooling and poor connectivity,” McDiarmid said.