Labour councillor Alex Gallagher maintains there is still strong interest on the Isle of Cumbrae to bring in a community fuel station.

With the County Garage Petrol Station closing in 2006, the island currently has no publicly available fuel supply.

An island survey took place in 2014, and it suggested that around a third of residents would 'always' use a fuel facility on the island and 40% would 'usually' use such a facility.

Cllr. Gallagher stated: "The Big Lottery has started releasing funds for community development such as fuel supplies on the islands - now there is the opportunity for a community petrol or diesel station on Cumbrae.

"I certainly intend to pursue it with local area committee and council and through CCDC and if they are not interested then doing it in some way without their involvement.

"People on the island are getting fed up with the situation - and having to come on to the mainland for their fuel.

"It is CCDC's job to front these operations, it is not their job to say they won't develop, when they are a development group, and leave someone else to do it."

SNP councillor Alan Hill responded:" There is no doubt that fuel supply on Cumbrae would be a useful thing however following lengthy discussion and investigation CCDC came to the conclusion that whilst there may be a possibility of grant funding for the establishment of a community fuel service, there was no revenue support available to sustain this going forward.

"The feeling has always been that it would require ongoing subsidy to survive. Unless Cllr Gallagher know differently there is no ongoing revenue support available for such a project.

"A project on this scale is not something that CCDC feels able to tackle at this stage although it would support and work with a community group seeking to take this forward. The ongoing commitment that will be required in terms of managing the facility really means that it requires a group of volunteers dedicated to looking after, opening and closing the facility on a day to day basis.

"CCDC and North Ayrshire Council have both confirmed that they would work with a local group to develop a community fuel project and stand ready to assist any such group should it emerge."

Michael Bertram, CEO of CCDC responded: “Councillor Gallagher claims there is a lot of interest on having fuel on the island. I would be delighted to receive these letters/emails of interest, if you could provide these to CCDC, we would be most grateful."