A SELL-OUT!
Crisis meeting demanded as minister drops linkspan bombshell
OUTRAGED councillors were demanding a crisis meeting with the Transport Minister this week after he responded to a letter to Allan Macaskill, the leader of the council, by saying that “it was recognised that there was no guaranteed use for the new linkspan”.
It might have been ‘recognised’ by Tavish Scott, but it was clearly news to Councillors Dick Walsh and Brian Chennell, who said that the transport minister’s about-turn, which is a clear departure from the stated policy of his predecessor, the current Deputy First Minister, threatened to tear apart plans for the regeneration of Dunoon Waterfront and the development of the town as the Gateway to the National Park.
The content of the letter and the seriousness of its implications prompted the two councillors to call for a meeting with the editor of the Dunoon Observer on Monday morning.
Both councillors expressed dismay that, despite providing 100 percent of the funding for the new linkspan, the Scottish Executive is now saying that a passenger-only service might suffice.
This is all the more bizarre, since the council’s plan was to build a breakwater to protect the pier; the linkspan plan came later, at the behest of the Executive.
Councillor Walsh, who has been involved for over a decade in the issue of Dunoon Pier, outlined the history of the problem, which began in the dying days of the last Conservative govenment and is still unresolved.
“Since then,” said Cllr Walsh, “we’ve had numerous transport ministers and consultations, with very little progress and much uncertainty.
“The council had made it crystal clear what it considered to be a basic requirement for the service in line with the aspiration for a ‘Gateway’ role for Dunoon. This foresaw a frequent town centre to town centre service for both passenger and vehicle traffic.”
It certainly seemed logical to assume that, since the Scottish Executive was funding the new linkspan in its entirety, that they held the same view.
However, the need for urgent work to be carried out on the existing linkspan prompted the leader of Argyll and Bute Council to write to the Transport Minister, Tavish Scott, to ask for a meeting to discuss the position, on the basis that there seemed little point in spending a great deal of money on an aged facility when there was a brand-new one sitting only a couple of hundred yards away.
In a response which Cllr Walsh described as ‘disingenuous’ the Minister said that the long-term shore infrastructure requirements at Dunoon would only become apparent once the tendering process was complete.
The minister then dropped his bombshell.
The Scottish Executive commitment to fund the new linkspan was intended to keep open the “possibility” of a vehicle service operating from Dunoon Pier to Gourock Pier.
It was recognised, he said, that there was no guaranteed use for the new linkspan.
He then went on to say that “since the costs of the new linkspan were being met by the Executive, the risk was with the government, if the new linkspan was not needed for the Dunoon-Gourock service.”
He added that if, for whatever reason, the current linkspan was unavailable he would be ‘content’ for CalMac to provide a passenger-only service until the Dunoon-Gourock contract starts. Nor would he assist in the deployment of a vessel that could use the new linkspan.
Councillor Chennell said that the minister’s comments flew in the face of the community’s view. “It’s our wish to see an integrated vehicle and passenger service run from town centre to town centre,” he said.
“We’re also extremely concerned that little recognition is being given to the significant amount of cash which has gone into funding the new linkspan at the Executive’s own behest. It now appears that this is not an essential element of the tender specification and may not be used in the future.
“How can this approach possibly represent value for money? We now have a situation where we’ve a brand-new facility which can’t be used, as opposed to retaining a side-loading streaker which will be restricted in its operation, with no guarantees that the existing linkspan will last beyond next year unless major repair work is done prior to the onset of winter.
“Further, it seems ridiculous for the Executive to expect this council to spend money on a temporary repair when there is the new linkspan only yards away lying unutilised.”
Both councillors backed the recent article in the Observer highlighting the concern that the invitation to tender would be slipped out during the summer recess - an article which aroused the wrath of MSP George Lyon.
Said Cllr Walsh: “We echo the Observer in raising the question with our MSPs and the minister on what they have been doing on our behalf on this important issue.”
He was scathing in his criticism of Mr Lyon, whom he accused of “ignoring the hard work done by others in securing the cash for the breakwater and the linkspan, taking all the credit and milking the publicity.”
He added: “Previous Ministers supported our move towards a PSO on the route and assured us that we would have a fast, efficient and regular vehicle and passenger service from town centre to town centre.
“Now we’re in a position which reads like an episode from ‘Yes Minister’ ”.
Both councillors were adamant that an early meeting with Tavish Scott was absolutely vital - well before the invitation to tender documentation was issued.
Among the issues on the table would be guarantees that the Invitation to Tender specification will provide for an unrestricted vehicle and passenger service from town centre to town centre, and guarantees that the use of the new linkspan and breakwater would be an essential element of the specification.
However, the chances of that happening before the completion of the stage one process look slim. According to an Executive spokeswoman, an announcement on the invitation to tender will be made before the end of July, which is just days away.


Concern over Western Ferries grant
THE massive £400,000 grant by Argyll and the Islands Enterprise to Western Ferries has caused concern to local councillors.
The money, will help fund the ferry company’s infrastructure improvements, which include a second linkspan on both the company’s terminals at Hunter’s Quay and McInroy’s Point
Western Ferries’ view is that the route will grow in importance as Dunoon seeks to portray itself as the gateway to the National Park.
However this view was not shared by local councillors.
Brian Chennell expressed serious reservations: “We are trying to bring traffic into Dunoon. There’s every chance that this will have the opposite effect, and tourists coming off at Hunter’s Quay will simply go north, by-passing the area completely.
“We as councillors had no indication that this grant was in the offing.
“AIE are supposed to be working with us on the Dunoon Waterfront Development, which stretches from the West Bay to Kirn.
“We are trying to regenerate the centre of Dunoon, especially the waterfront area, which by definition means breathing new life into the area. It’s difficult to understand how this award is going to help us achieve that. In fact it will almost certainly do precisely the opposite.”
Councillor Dick Walsh said: “Argyll and the Islands Enterprise is a non-elected body composed largely of government appointees from the business community. Mr Ross, the managing director of Western Ferries, is himself on the AIE’s, board, and, though I have no doubt that he was not party to the award of what is - by any yardstick - a massive grant to his company. This begs the question - was the grant essential for the work to go ahead?”
Mr Gordon Ross said that the grant was a fraction of the cost involved in the infrastructure. He explained: “The work would have gone ahead without it, but the grant will accelerate the process. As in the past, we will be endeavouring to ensure that, where possible, work will be carried out by local companies.
“I believe this was a very positive decision,” he said. “The benefits of service improvements arising from this investment will accrue to our customers, and to the whole of Cowal.”
AIE’s Chief Executive defended the award of the grant: “This represents only a small part of the investment - the company is meeting the other 80 percent of it - and that’s just on the Cowal side - so there’s no question that Western is putting its money where its mouth is. The investment will improve the resilience of the company’s operation and enable it to function better in poor weather conditions.”
He added that this was only one of a number of projects which will be arising in the Dunoon area in the future, pointing to the refurbishment of the Queen’s Hall as one area where AIE funding would come into play.


Kirn reaches Scotland in Bloom finals
Kirn has been selected as a finalist in the Scotland in Bloom 2006 Finals.
This fantastic achievement has been gained through the combined efforts of Kirn residents, businesses, Kirn Church, EnviroKirn and Argyll and Bute Council.
Floral displays throughout the village, well-maintained public areas, and of course the rejuvenated Queen’s building have not only pleased the judges but have also received complimentary remarks from locals and visitors alike.
Kirn has set the standard to which it is hoped other areas will try to emulate.
Local Councillor Brian Chennell expressed his delight in the news of the area’s success, saying “ This is a proud moment for Kirn, and is a reflection of the positive community spirit of the area, with everybody involved in providing this area with a Pride of Place.
“I am amazed this year at the number of people from outside Kirn who have expressed their appreciation of the area, and I take this opportunity to thank residents, EnviroKirn members and helpers, and local council employees for their combined efforts and hard work.”


MP questions free personal care criteria
CONSERVATIVE MSP Jamie McGrigor is trying to get to the bottom of reports that free personal care for the elderly is being rationed by the application of highly restrictive interpretations of the meaning of ‘assistance with meal preparation’. Mr McGrigor is trying to establish if this has been happening in Argyll and Bute.
He said: “Further to the alarming situation in Argyll and Bute regarding the lack of Free Personal Care for the elderly and the inadequacy of the reply to my oral question by the junior health minister in parliament on June 29, a recent report on this issue from the Scottish Parliament’s health committee has highlighted concerns.”
He pointed out that some councils say that the Scottish Executive has not provided sufficient money to fund this policy, but whatever the rights and wrongs of the funding argument between councils and the Scottish Executive, the fact was that the Scottish Parliament had passed a law introducing free personal care for the over- 65s and made it clear that assistance with meal preparation was considered an important element of the law. “Therefore,” he went on, “in cases where senior citizens living at home are being assisted in this way, no charge should be made for that particular service.
“Whereas household support services such as cleaning are chargeable; meal preparation is not. I believe that the credibility of our Scottish Parliament is at stake if people are being short-changed and I would urge people to write to me at my constituency office: 61 Chalmers Street, Ardrishaig, PA30 8DX, if they feel that they have unfairly charged.”
He explained that Edinburgh council had recently refunded citizens who were wrongly charged for meal preparation.
He concluded: “Obviously, the council will know who has been charged and whether their cases should be reviewed and it should not take a letter from an MSP to bring this about. I am however, concerned that our senior citizens in Argyll and Bute should receive their entitlement to Free Personal Care in every aspect.”