New waiting room and office planned for Dunoon harbour

£350,000 is due to be spent on ‘essential upgrades’ at Dunoon harbour next year, though no spending is planned for Kilcreggan pier.

Talks on the project for three new ferries plus new infrastructure at Gourock,  Kilcreggan and Dunoon started in 2018 – since then the total costs have soared to £70m.

The project has now been put on hold amid funding concerns, while plans for new pontoons in Kilcreggan and Dunoon were both rejected in public consultations.

Now Argyll and Bute councillors are being asked to approve investment in Dunoon regardless of whether the project goes ahead.

A report to next week’s meeting of the council’s harbour board states: “Although the combined programme of works for Gourock, Dunoon and Kilcreggan has been paused while Transport Scotland completes its work on the vessel funding, areas where improvements are required have been identified irrespective of the outcome of the larger project.

“The intention is that these improvements will form ‘Phase 1’ of the larger works if they go ahead, however that decision is not required to justify these particular improvements to the facilities and utilities connections.

“Interim plans are in development with costs expected to be in the region of £350k which include a waiting room / harbour office building and a connection to amenities.”

There is no reference to the public’s rejection of the preferred options for both Dunoon and Kilcreggan – with 75% of respondents rejecting the £9.6m proposals for the latter.

The design of the new ferry was also rejected in by a majority in a public consultation exercise which closed more than two years ago.

The full results of that consultation have still not been released and CMAL’s refusal to do this is is being investigated by Scotland’s Freedom of Information Commission.