Alternative designs using the village’s historic pier are now being drawn up in a potential U-turn for the Kilcreggan Harbour project, it was revealed today.
And the consultation looks set to be paused, partly because of impending council elections – despite Argyll and Bute Council saying last week that it was still on schedule.
The £9.3m preferred option – a pontoon and breakwater – was widely criticised when it was finally revealed in January, with community councillors saying Kilcreggan’s Victorian pier should be adapted instead.
And a Save Kilcreggan Pier Facebook group was formed, rapidly gaining nearly 700 members amid fears for the future of the 125 year-old B-listed building – Helensburgh’s pier had to be closed to mariners following neglect by Argyll and Bute Council after the town lost its ferry service.
The council’s harbour board today was given an update on management of several of the authority’s maritime assets, including the project for Kilcreggan and Dunoon which will also see three new ferries being commissioned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL).
In the 15-minute discussion, which also covered Islay and Rothesay, there was no mention of the dramatic increase in estimated cost of the Kilcreggan project – from £1.1m to £9.3m – although it was noted that prices for construction projects were currently changing very rapidly.
Scott Reid, the council’s marine operations manager, was asked by the board’s chair Rory Colville about confidentiality surrounding the project, since there seemed to some confusion and councillors had received ‘quite a bit of correspondence’ about this.
Read more: Kilcreggan Harbour plans ‘should incorporate the pier’
Mr Reid answered: “The comments about confidentiality and things like that, that were mentioned to you, these refer to very short periods when design drawings were kept confidential within a working group environment until they could be finalised to share the detail that went out to the public and the reference groups.”
He added that Transport Scotland, which was driving the project, had recently said: “Their process is paused for some months due to procedural processes for their funding options.
“That gives us opportunity to look more closely at the options that we’re looking at.
“We’ve got at least one option that we’re looking at for Kilcreggan, and due to the very early feedback we’ve got investigations going on to do with the old existing pier, and some drawings and things like that, that we’re drawing up.”
Mr Reid added that earlier today he had been told of another potential reason for the project to be delayed: “There may well be a pause in the consultation because of the election period and the fact that both in Dunoon and Kilcreggan there will almost certainly be elected member participation in those consultations.
“And so that may well pause the actual start date.”
As a Community Councillor for Cove and Kilcreggan (and a Candidate in the elections in May in Lomond North) I would like to highlight that my colleagues on the Community Council that were appointed to the Harbour Reference Group have been working tirelessly behind the scenes for 3-months to ensure that the alternative options were re-visited and are once again back on the table. Thank you to them for their hard work – together with the Harbour Board and Reference Group who have also listened to our concerns.
The local Facebook group has mobilised local opposition and concern and it’s great to see that having an impact, however now we need to let the process move forward within the longer timescales being set out. We can all breathe a little easier knowing that nothing will be decided without due consultation and consideration.
The extended delays and timing should not be seen as a problem – the current pier has been here for 125-years…it will serve us well while we continue to explore the options.
It is vital that when are able to move to public consultation on this, that all the options are considered and that instead of a fait accomplis which many residents feared, we can have an open dialogue which allows all options to be on the table.
The most crucial aspect is, for whichever option is discussed, to consider the impact on the Community. It is a golden opportunity to re-invigorate Kilcreggan Village and we must make the right decisions for the good of the community as well as the operator.
A holistic approach to secure the future regeneration of Kilcreggan Village would be a fabulous outcome from all the planning and dialogue so far. Here’s hoping.