Council officials should pause a consultation process on the future of ferry terminal access at Dunoon Harbour, a councillor has said.
The £7m development is key to the project jointly run by Transport Scotland, CalMac, CMAL and Argyll and Bute Council to build three new ferries to serve Dunoon and Kilcreggan.
Any delay or change to the planned Dunoon infrastructure will affect the Kilcreggan Harbour project, where the initial preferred option was a £9.3m pontoon and breakwater which was met with widespread opposition.
Cowal SNP Cllr Gordon Blair tried to move a motion to local councillors asking to put on hold a consultation process which started on Thursday, November 24.
The survey asks respondents to choose one of four options, which would all see the linkspan removed and replaced with new fixed and articulating ramps providing access to the pontoon.
Cllr Blair was advised that he could put the motion forward at a special meeting of the Argyll and Bute harbour board, which is scheduled for later this month. He is not a member of the harbour board, but he can seek permission to speak.
Cllr Blair told the council’s Bute and Cowal area committee yesterday: “Most of the area committee members confirmed, prior to the election in May, their efforts to retain the linkspan and reinstate the ferry on the town centre route. This was further ratified by the leader and council officers.
“The options put forward in the consultation have no option that represents the wishes of most of the area committee.
“The consultation is flawed, and the committee ask for abeyance in this process until further talks with Transport Scotland and council officials.
“This is something which should have a higher priority, particularly looking forward to the economic regeneration of the area as a result of the Dunoon Project.
“It is to raise the profile of the issues with the consultation and also retaining the linkspan.”
Clerk Stuart McLean responded: “By happy coincidence, there is a special meeting of the harbour board scheduled, and Dunoon Linkspan would fall within their remit. The pre-agenda meeting is being held tomorrow.
“I suggest that you speak at the conclusion of this meeting and ask for it to be considered at the harbour board meeting.”
Read more: Public rejected new ferry designs – but survey results were kept secret
Dunoon Liberal Democrat Ross Moreland, who is vice chair of the harbour board, said: “One thing that I will say is that there is an option in the consultation to keep the linkspan.”
However, Cowal Conservative Yvonne McNeilly said: “Whether the clarity of that is the standard we would want is another issue. My comment on this has been that we do not want to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
“I am happy with the motion but it is a complicated situation and I would reiterate that we are going into consultation and will take it from there.”
Her ward colleague, William Sinclair, added: “I do not like ambiguity with consultations, because the public should be able to make a conscious judgement and not look through the lens to see what they want.
“I would go even further to see a public meeting but I would support the motion.”
Dunoon Conservative Daniel Hampsey said: “People want to know whether the linkspan will remain, so one option needs to say that it supports retaining it, and one needs to say it supports removing it.”
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