CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Ardrossan Harbour fear negotiations to bring the site into public ownership are “far from complete” after meeting with key players in the talks.
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced earlier this year that she had asked officials to look at the potential purchase of the harbour in North Ayrshire.
For almost 200 years, ferries have left from the harbour for Arran, but for the majority of this year there have been no services from Ardrossan because the Glen Sannox – and its sister ship Glen Rosa that is yet to enter service – are too big to berth there.
The Glen Sannox has been travelling to Arran from Troon alongside the MV Alfred, while the Caledonian Isles – which is due to return to Ardrossan next month – has been out of action since January 2024.
The Ardrossan Harbour Task Force met for the first time in a year in April after which the Scottish Government said it remained committed to trying to purchase the site.
However, since then, campaigners from Arran for Ardrossan Harbour have met with CMAL, Transport Scotland, CalMac and Peel Ports – which currently owns the site.
Wyllie Hume, chair of the group, claimed they were told at the meeting by Kevin Hobbs, CEO of government-owned ferries and harbours body CMAL, that the public ownership deal is "far from complete".
He also claimed CMAL said Peel Ports was asking for “an exorbitant amount” for the dilapidated harbour that it could not afford.
Hume added: “Throughout the entire meeting, he and the Transport [Scotland] representative treated us as an irritant and gave the impression that they were meeting us under sufferance.
“A no point in the discussions did Mr Hobbs say he was committed to saving Ardrossan Harbour or that he is strongly committed to pursuing the buyout.”
Peel Ports said it has been working with “pace and energy” on negotiations, but claimed this has not been matched by other parties at the table.
Transport Scotland said a timeline “can only be reasonably established and published should actual purchase and transfer of control of the port be successful”.
Bosses explained that neither CMAL or the Scottish Government could force the sale of a port or use compulsory purchase powers under existing harbours legislation.
CMAL told The National it remains “fully committed” to maintaining a “robust and resilient” ferry service but must ensure “we deliver the best value for the public purse”.
The task force involves Transport Scotland, North Ayrshire Council, Peel Ports, CalMac, CMAL, the Isle of Arran Ferry Committee and the area's MSP Kenneth Gibson.
The Ardrossan port requires a costly berth realignment in order to accommodate the new Glen Sannox – which entered service to Arran in January – and the Glen Rosa – which is now not due to be delivered until 2026.
The Ardrossan Harbour Project – to develop the port and make it suitable for the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa – was given the go-ahead way back in 2018 by then transport minister Humza Yousaf, but the project was paused in 2023 and a fresh business case has never emerged.
With ferries only going in and out of Troon for the past few months, residents in Arran have been struggling to get to medical appointments at Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, which is easily reachable by bus from Ardrossan but much more challenging to get to from Troon.
There are also fears Ardrossan could suffer a similar fate to Stranraer, which in 2011 lost the ferry to Northern Ireland after more than 150 years. The local economy quickly took a significant downturn after Stena Line moved up the coast to Cairnryan.
A spokesperson from CMAL said: “We met with Save Ardrossan Harbour, Arran for Ardrossan Harbour, CalMac and Transport Scotland at the CMAL offices last week to discuss the current situation. While we recognise this is an emotive issue for the Arran and Ardrossan communities, we are in the middle of a commercial negotiation process, which limits the amount of information that can be shared.
“We are fully committed to maintaining a robust and resilient ferry service for the Isle of Arran, and no option is off the table. However, we must also ensure we deliver the best value for the public purse.”
Transport Scotland said it will update Parliament and the community once there is progress to report.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “We absolutely understand people and communities’ views in favour of retaining Ardrossan as the mainland port and their frustration that there is not yet more progress to report.
“The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring the Arran ferry service is fit for the future and we want to see progress just as much as local campaigners do. However, as was explained to them when they met recently with CMAL, Transport Scotland and CalMac, a timeline can only be reasonably established and published should actual purchase and transfer of control of the port be successful.
“CMAL and Peel Ports need time and space to undertake and conclude negotiations.”
A Peel Ports spokesperson said: “We’ve entered negotiations in good faith, working with pace and energy to a timetable we believed was achievable. Unfortunately, that pace and energy hasn’t been matched by those at the negotiating table.
“We appreciate that the buyers have other ferry issues to contend with but reaching a swift conclusion will require them to give this negotiation a higher priority.”
