AREA COMMITTEE SPLIT ON HOLIDAY PARK DECISION
The proposed extension to a Dunoon holiday park has been refused at Tuesday’s meeting of the Bute and Cowal Area Committee in the Queen’s Hall. Council planners had recommended refusal of the application, which included the creation of nine new villages containing 291 static caravans, the building of new roads and infrastucture and amendments to existing caravan layouts, at Hunter’s Quay Holiday Village.
But the meeting, which was attended by around 35 members of the public, also had its share of controversy when, before voting commenced, the two Bute councillors present stated that, in their view, the matter was one to be decided by Cowal councillors alone and that they would be abstaining from voting on the matter.
The motion to refuse planning permission was carried on the casting vote of the committee chair, Brian Chennell, after both the motion to refuse the application and an amendment, tabled by Councillor Bruce Marshall, that the proposed development, subject to a number of changes, should be given the go-ahead, both got two votes.
During his presentation, council planning officer David Eaglesham told councillors that there was a long list of reasons why they should refuse the application. These were detailed over several pages of the meeting agenda and included: the cumulative effect on the existing woodland, the conspicuous appearance of parts of the development, the loss of ancient woodlands, the possible effects on nearby residents, including a reduction in property values and the fact that the plan represented an overdevelopment of an already large site.
Mr Eaglesham said that several statutory consultees, including Scottish National Heritage (SNH), Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority and Forestry Commission Scotland had all lodged objections. SNH had objected on the basis that the development would have a serious impact on the woodland habitats of Pipistrelle Bats, a European Protected Species and red squirrels, which are regarded as an endangered species.
In all the council received 319 letters, with 272 opposed to the plan and 47 in favour.
In support of their application, Cowal Leisure submitted an Environmental Statement, in which it was concluded that the visual and ecological impact of the proposed extension to Hunter’s Quay Holiday Park would be minimised to what their professional team considered was “an acceptable level” and that further mitigation was proposed when development was commenced. Their agents added that there was a demand for further accommodation on such a successful site and that there was considerable economic benefit to the local community, with 60 people employed at the park in high season and visitors putting their money into the local economy.
This view was supported by Holy Loch councillor Bruce Marshall who put forward an amendment to the proposal, saying that Cowal needed investment and development in order to move forward.
Councillor Marshall’s amendment proposed that, subject to changes including a reduction in the number of new caravans and extra screening, the plan should be passed. “Having walked round the holiday park,” he said, “I was impressed by the way it was managed and by the tranquility of the area.” Councillor Marshall added that what was proposed would only involve development of just over seven hectares of an 81 hectare site. He also reiterated that the proposed development would bring economic benefits, with additional jobs and more visitors spending their money in the Dunoon area.
“What is needed in Cowal is jobs for young, intelligent people, jobs which will make them want to stay here and raise their families and not move across the water,” he said.
But it was before the committee got down to the actual business of voting that Bute councillor Robert MacIntyre made his controversial statement: “This is an important and contentious issue for Cowal,” he said, “and it should not be decided by Bute councillors.
“The decision should not be taken against the will of the local community, and so it should be decided by Cowal councillors.” He added that he would therefore be abstaining from voting, a decision echoed by his fellow Bute councillor, Len Scoullar.
This drew a sharp rebuke from Councillor Douglas Currie who said: “This is an abdication of responsibility. Councillor MacIntyre is not a parish councillor, he is an Argyll and Bute councillor. I think it is regrettable that he takes this view.”
Councillor MacIntyre’s bid to respond to the East Lochfyne councillor’s remarks was refused permission by the meeting chair, Brian Chennell, a decision he accepted with good grace.
In the vote that followed, councillors Chennell and McQueen voted to accept the planners recommendation and refuse the application, with Councillors Marshall and McKinven voting to accept the amendment which would have seen the plan accepted, subject to several conditions.
A surprise addition to the ranks of the “no voters”, in addition to the representatives from Bute, and given his remarks, was Douglas Currie.
With the decision tied at two apiece, the casting vote, as chair, was made by Councillor Chennell, who said: “I see no reason to change my vote.”
That announcement, which was obviously what most of the assembled audience had been waiting to hear, signalled a mass exodus of mainly relieved, and for the moment, satisfied people.


Were CalMac ships built with illegal subsidies?
THE yard which beat Ferguson’s for the Bute ferry order has been threatened with closure for being in receipt of illegal government subsidies.
The news broke, ironically, in the same week that the second ferry, the Argyle, was launched.
Oddly enough, it has been ignored by the Scottish national press, featuring only in English-based publications such as the Economist and the Daily Telegraph.
The award of the contract for the Bute to the Gdansk shipyard raised a storm of protest at the time, especially since the newbuild vessel was being built with taxpayers’ money. Despite allegations at the time that the Polish yard was being illegally subsidised by its government. The Scottish Executive insisted that it was bound by European legislation to give the order to the Gdansk yard, and then added fuel to the flames by giving the order for the second ship to the same yard, and then followed that up with an order for a fishery protection vessel.
The yard at Gdansk - formerly Danzig - is the birthplace of Solidarity ( The real one, not the Tommy Sheridan version) and therefore has iconic status in Poland.
However, the European Commisson has decreed that, unless illegal subsidies are repaid, it will shut down Gdansk and two other yards. The subsidies, which the commission claims add up to £870m, have been paid since Poland joined the EU two years ago.
The closure of the yards would be a shattering blow - Poland is one of the world’s biggest shipbuilders and 18,000 workers and no less than 80.000 workers in associated industries would lose their jobs.
There will, however, be scant sympathy for their plight from the workers at Ferguson’s who lost out when the Polish yard got the orders which, under normal circumstances would have gone to a Scottish, or at least a British yard as a matter of course.
There was much anger when the three contracts were awarded, despite the Scottish Executive’s claim that under EU law they had no option, there were allegations at the time - hotly denied by the Executive - that the Polish yard was being illegally subsidised.
There was also anger that Scottish jobs were being put at risk to build ships in a foreign country using taxpayer’s money, and the irony of the situation was emphasised when Western Ferries, a hard-headed private business, chose Ferguson’s to build its new linkspan.


MP voices parking ban doubts
Alan Reid, the MP for Argyll and Bute, has questioned the local authority over the legality of the controversial Traffic Order which has led to yellow lines being painted in many streets in Dunoon.
Mr Reid said: “It appears to me that the council have not gone through the proper procedures before implementing this Traffic Order. The law requires them to put a public notice in a local newspaper listing the names of the streets affected so that residents of those streets can give their views on the Order. However, the notice that was placed in the ‘Dunoon Observer’ on February 24 this year didn’t list the streets affected, but merely referred to ‘various roads within Dunoon.”
The MP said that, as a result of this, many people from the affected streets were unaware that the council planned to impose parking restrictions outside their house and so did not object.
He continued: “I have written to Argyll and Bute Council pointing out that I think that the Traffic Order has not gone through the proper procedure.
“Because of this uncertainty, people who get parking tickets might be able to challenge them in court.
“I think that the council should suspend this Traffic Order and hold a further consultation before deciding the final version of the order.”
Mr Reid added that there was legislation which covered Traffic Orders and that the council should have followed this. It states that the authority shall publish at least once in a local newspaper circulating in the area in which any road or other place to which the order relates is situated, a notice of proposals containing the name or other brief description of the road.
The Traffic Order was advertised in the Observer on February 24 this year, but the advert did not list the names of the roads affected.
For the full text of the Order, go to www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/19990614.htm.


WESTERN EXPANSION
Western Ferries is set to spend over £4m in infrastructure improvements at McInroy’s Point and Hunter’s Quay on its Gourock to Dunoon ferry route.
The investment will include two impressive new linkspans, two new berthing structures, an increased car marshalling capacity, as well as improvements to the passenger facilities.
The project is being supported through a capital grant from Argyll and Islands Enterprise. The linkspans will be delivered by local firm Fergusons of Port Glasgow.
Gordon Ross, the company’s Managing Director, said: “Western Ferries is an ambitious company committed to providing first rate ferry services to the people of the Cowal Peninsula, and we are delighted that we are going to be able to carry out these infrastructure improvements.
“ Once completed these developments will ensure that we continue to provide quality ferry services for our customers for a long time to come.
“We are thankful for the capital grant given to us by Argyll and Islands Enterprise, which has enabled us to undertake the improvements at both terminals at the same time.
He added: “Western Ferries has always had a strong community focus, and we were pleased that local firm Ferguson’s have built our new linkspans.”
He said that the project would be carried out over the winter months and was planned for completion by Spring next year.
He continued: “We are confident that there will be little or no disruption to the current service during the construction phase.
“On completion, the new facilities will enable the company to deliver a more robust service for our loyal customers and the local community.
The new terminals design work has been undertaken by Clydebank consulting engineer Arch Henderson LLP. and the contract to carry out the project has been awarded to Glasgow based civil engineering contractors George Leslie Ltd.
These improvements will go ahead regardless of the outcome of the commercial tender for Caledonian MacBrayne’s Gourock to Dunoon ferry route, which is currently ongoing.
The company has enjoyed considerable local success in its 30 years of serving the Cowal penisula, and last year carried 1.3m passengers and 600,000 cars. It has by far the lion’s share of the vehicle traffic.