Pontoons have previously been suggested for Kilcreggan pier, which has served the village since Victorian timesBerthing Kilcreggan’s new ferry in the village could cost £850,000 over the next four years, a new report has revealed.
And Argyll and Bute Council could spend another £250,000 in subsequent years to comply with disability legislation.
Three new sister ferries with an estimated price tag of £5m each are being planned for services between Gourock, Kilcreggan and Dunoon – where a total cost of near £2m is projected.
The figures are revealed in a report to next week’s special meeting of the authority’s harbour board, no members of which are from the Rosneath Peninsula area.
In September it was revealed here that Dunoon councillors were given a presentation and voted on the ‘Gourock Dunoon Project’ – which includes Kilcreggan – whereas those representing the Rosneath Peninsula had no presentation and were only allowed to note what was happening.
New linkspans and pontoons are being considered by a working group made up Transport Scotland, Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL) and CalMac, with examples drawn from the River Thames and Amsterdam.
Argyll and Bute owns Kilcreggan’s 19th century pier, as well as the pier and a £4.5m linkspan in Dunoon which has never been used for its intended purpose of serving a vehicle ferry. A new ten-year asset management plan breaks down the spending in Kilcreggan:
- £250,000 on a feasibility study and planning permissions in 2021/22
- £100,000 for design and tender documentation the following year
- And approximately £500,000 on new berthing arrangements in 2023/24, with works completed the following year
There is then a pause in spending until 2028/29, when £250,000 is allocated for ‘DDA compliance/upgrades for Gourock Ferry?’ – implying that the new ferry and its berthing arrangements may not comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.
A report to the harbour board says work totalling £94m at all the authority’s piers and harbours will be paid for by increasing fees by 8% to meet borrowing requirements.
A report to another council meeting – the Bute and Cowal area committee – sets out target milestones for the new Gourock, Dunoon and Kilcreggan ferries.
It states that contractors Mott Macdonald started wave monitoring at Gourock this month, while CMAL will outline the specification for the new vessels, including size and propulsion options, in January.
A business case for the new boats will be outlined next spring – before the council starts its feasibility study into how they can be berthed.
The council’s asset management plan shows no spending plans at all for Helensburgh pier, which was closed to mariners in 2018, with the council saying repairs could not be justified as ferries had ceased using it, although the Waverley still called there.
It is unclear whether new pontoons or a linkspan would be linked with Kilcreggan’s pier – which could make planning permission difficult as it is a B-listed building – and if the pier is not used there will be fears for its future.
The asset management plan is available as a PDF here: Appendix 1 – 10 Year Asset Management Plan – Revision H – scheme durations
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