“Too many meetings, too few results”
- Town’s fighting spirit still strong at ferry event
Despite it being, perhaps, a meeting too many on an issue that’s dragged on for too long, the people of Dunoon and Cowal turned out in force last Friday night to make their feelings plain - once again - about the Dunoon-Gourock ferry service.
Friday’s meeting was chaired by Ronnie Smith of Dunoon Community Council, who opened by saying: “Welcome to a meeting we didn’t want to have.”
Dunoon Community Council organised the event, frustrated with the apparent lack of action on the issue.
Mr Smith was joined on the platform by Councillor Dick Walsh, MP Alan Reid and MSP Jamie McGrigor, who faced an audience of over 200 people.
Statements from local MSP Jim Mather and MEP Alyn Smith, neither of whom was able to attend, were read out, although members of the audience voiced their frustration. “We can’t ask questions of a statement,” one man complained.
Powerful message
Mr Mather’s statement confirmed his support for a town centre to town centre passenger and vehicle service, in line with the community’s wishes, and also reiterated the importance of Friday’s meeting: “It will carry a powerful message to my colleagues at Holyrood, as well as to Westminster, Brussels and ferry operators.
Mr Mather advocated the imposition of a public service obligation: “This would allow the area to be served by additional ferries that would help achieve the true goal of improving the economic and social wellbeing of the area.”
He also announced his intention to hold an Argyll and Bute Transport Summit, which would serve to remind operators and transport organisations of local needs and the requirement to work together to fulfill these.
Alyn Smith’s statement assured the meeting that “ferry policy remains at the top of the in-tray” and that he continued to work with Stewart Stevenson on achieving resolution. He concluded: “I remain confident that there is nothing in EU law which precludes the sort of service we want to see, and this matter is very far from closed.”
Urgent action
MP Alan Reid welcomed the statements from Messrs Mather and Smith, saying: “I wish things would move more quickly, but I am pleased to see Jim Mather behind us. We need urgent action.”
MSP Jamie McGrigor lamented the lack of resolution on the issue, saying: “There have been too many meetings and too few results.”
Expressing the need for competition on the route, he said that he was “horrified” at any suggestion of a passenger-only service for Dunoon town centre.
Councillor Walsh stated his regret that no resolution had been found but confirmed: “We will continue to fight this fight.
“There are ambitious plans for the regeneration of Dunoon’s waterfront and the situation is becoming urgent.”
The meeting was then open to questions and comments from the floor.
Councillor Bruce Marshall spoke of a fast, robust passenger service using, for example, hydrofoil vessels: “Such a service could invigorate and boost the town centre,” and stated that although he too wanted to see a passenger and vehicle service, he was a pragmatist and could not see it happening - to the general displeasure of the crowd, with calls of “Rubbish” ringing round the hall.
Professor Neil Kay confirmed the need to look at operations and not focus on operators: “Western Ferries is often painted as the saint and CalMac the sinner, but companies change and evolve, and we also need to consider potential future competitors on the route.”
Vessels
Other points made included concerns over sourcing vessels (this could take up to five years from placing an order), an emphasis on the need for competition in order to maintain affordable travel costs for both the public and the business community, the requirement for robust vessels which can cope with the vagaries of the weather, and the need for restrictions on CalMac’s services to be lifted as soon as possible. The contribution that Western Ferries makes to the area, both in terms of service levels and contribution to the community by various means, was acknowledged.
The ferry issue is complex with considerable historical, social, economical and political dimensions, all of which have been reported extensively in this newspaper, but the view of many of the local residents can be summed up by the words of one lady who asked simply: “Can we please just have ferries which will carry cars and passengers, and which will use the new linkspan before it rots?”
Resolve
Local residents may be weary of the issue but they haven’t given up the fight. Donald Inglis said: “I don’t want to have to come to any more meetings of this kind, but if we have to, we will return.
“If anyone thinks our resolve to fight is worn down, they are wrong.”
A call from the chair for a show of hands as to support for a passenger and vehicle town centre to town centre service yielded an overwhelming majority - if not quite total unanimity - in favour.
As the meeting drew to a close, Alan Reid confirmed that he had heard the community’s views “loud and clear” and would support those at every opportunity.
Jamie McGrigor urged: “The new government needs to go forward, and not backward, on what is currently an inferior service.”
Dick Walsh thanked the public for making its views so clear, saying: “I will continue to press on behalf of the community along with our colleagues in Inverclyde to achieve an outcome that satisfies the communities’ wish.”
Ronnie Smith concluded by proposing a motion which will be sent to both First Minister Alex Salmond and Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson, giving a clear indication of the community’s insistence on resolution of the ferry issue.
The motion, which will serve as a formal record of the views expressed, reads:
“This meeting demands a town centre to town centre vehicle and passenger ferry service between Dunoon and Gourock, consisting of two modern vessels carrying both vehicles and passengers, operating on a competitive basis with the Hunter’s Quay-McInroy’s Point route, and we demand that it does so without frequency restriction or restriction of hours, and that a statement accepting this should be made by the Transport Minister at the earliest possible opportunity.”
*The community has a further opportunity to strike while the iron is hot and put forward its views on the issue to the Scottish Government’s Inquiry into Ferry Services in Scotland. Dunoon Community Council’s chair, Anne Gabriel, announced last Friday that the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (TICC) inquiry committee will be visiting Dunoon on March 11 to gather views. The visit will be hosted by the community council.
The committee’s job is to scrutinise and report on policy and it will be looking for community views on various aspects of ferry service including frequency and timetabling, and integration with other modes of transport.
Further information - including an online survey - can be found online at www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/ticc, or alternatively the committee can be contacted via the Clerk to the TICC Committee, T3.40, The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh EH99 1SP. Tel: 0131 348 5211. Members of the public and the local business community are urged to make contact and express their views.


Charter Mark for Invereck
After months of planning and preparation, and after a day-long assessment involving staff, residents, families and the emergency services, Invereck House was awarded the prestigious Charter Mark recently.
The event was recognised and celebrated at an event in Glasgow when the service managers of the 11 CrossReach (Church of Scotland Social Care) services which gained the award were presented with a framed certificate by the Convener of CrossReach, Rev. David Court, who commended the services for their exceptional efforts.
Chief Executive of CrossReach, Alan Staff, said: “The award is a marvellous achievement. Staff in the 11 services have worked extremely hard to meet the high standards required to achieve Charter Mark status.
“I am very proud of those which have gained the award and hope that more of our 80 services across Scotland will put themselves forward for Charter Mark in the coming months.
“This award is very important to CrossReach as it reinforces our commitment to providing the best quality of care for our service users while also having the standards in place to back that up.”
Sandra Marshall, Service Manager of Invereck House, is delighted with the award. She said: “I feel that gaining Charter Mark is a recognition of the work that staff do every single day.
“It shows that we are committed to our service users and their welfare. It also shows that we are determined to constantly improve and go that extra mile for them.”
Although Invereck has now been awarded the Charter Mark it certainly doesn’t mean that Sandra and her team can rest on their laurels.
They will have to reapply every three years although if the high standard which is required is not maintained it could result in the award being taken away from them, something that the staff are determined will not happen.
Sandra added: “This award will show prospective residents and residents’ families that we have exceptionally high standards, very caring staff, excellent facilities and that we look after all our residents in the manner which they deserve.”


Hostel uncertainty continues
Parents of children affected by the closure of the Dunoon Grammar School hostel are still frustrated following a meeting held last week to give an update on the situation.
Students from Tighna-bruaich and Lochgoilhead are travelling to school daily by bus, resulting in an extended day and limited opportunities to participate in supported study or extracurricular activities.
Officers from Argyll and Bute Council and Strathclyde Fire and Rescue met with parents in Dunoon’s Queen’s Hall last Thursday to give an update on the current situation.
A statement from the council was handed out to those present, confirming that the tendering process for the necessary upgrade work is underway and contractors are expected to commence work on site at the end of March. The document also stated that the programme should end by December 2008, with the hostel re-opening at the start of the school term in January 2009.
Parents were still concerned to receive written assurance of the hostel’s eventual re-opening and that its closure would not be permanent. They reminded Douglas Dunlop, the council’s Head of Children and Family Services, that they had been promised letters of confirmation following the closure in December, and that this pledge had not been fulfilled. Mr Dunlop confirmed that the council would address this as soon as possible.
The council advised that while discussions are ongoing with the Care Commission regarding approval of alternative accommodation in Dunoon, it will not be possible to source accommodation for all the students affected, and this means that for some pupils, the daily travelling will have to continue.
Various other key issues and questions were raised by those present at the meeting, with many voicing their discontent at the lack of a firm solution so far, and a more detailed report will follow next week.


Progress on WESTFIELD
Almost 40 people attended Highgate Hall in Strone last Friday night to hear an update from the Westfield Steering Group on its plight to convince Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) to change its plans over timber extraction via the street.
The meeting was opened by the Chairman of the steering group, Allan Fraser, who welcomed, and thanked, everyone before outlining the purpose of the steering group: to come up with a viable alternative to Westfield. He said, to a chorus of ‘hear hear’,: “We must not and cannot let this happen.”
Mr Fraser went on to add, that no-one is anti-FCS, and that everyone accepts and acknowledges that timber must be felled and extracted, but that FCS must understand the health and safety aspect of using Westfield.
He also outlined that the (three) meetings with FCS had been very productive although unless the community sticks together, as one voice, it could all be futile.
John Astley then took to the floor and confirmed that the process was not about off-loading the problem; the aim was to find a solution.
Mr Astley confirmed that FCS has now allocated £50k for this project, which is a huge increase from the £7k that was initially earmarked.
Mr Astley then urged the residents of not only Westfield, but surrounding streets and villages to keep the pressure on FCS to take the route away from the villages altogether and use the preferred option of exiting via Rashfield.
A resident of Westfield, Karen McCrory, then addressed the audience with some thoughts, observations, facts and personal feelings which seemed to echo the sentiments felt by the vast majority of those who are directly affected.
A ‘questions and answers’ session then took place when various questions and points of concern were raised.
Mr Fraser concluded the meeting by reiterating that the main objectives were that everyone sticks together to get Westfield off the agenda and to ensure that yellow lines are not put down - he urged residents to write to Argyll and Bute Council to this effect.
He also emphasised that legal action will be taken, if necessary, to halt FCS’ proposal to use Westfield and asked everyone concerned, directly or indirectly, to write to FCS and the council expressing their fears and concerns.
The steering group is in constant dialogue with FCS, and in fact has another meeting early next month, and the campaign is gaining momentum, almost daily. The feeling after the meeting was one of hope, not of resignation.