Labour MSP slams Peel Ports for lack of harbour investment

Katy Clark hit out in the wake of comments from the new boss of ferry company CalMac, who slammed Peel Ports for the lack of investment at Ardrossan.

And the Labour MSP repeated her call for the harbour to be taken into public ownership

CalMac interim chief executive Duncan Mackison claimed the harbour facilities  "have not been maintained to an acceptable standard".

And he warned: "If the current situation at Ardrossan is not resolved there is a risk that CalMac will have to operate the Arran service from Troon."

Read more: Ferry firm warn Peel Ports over state of Ardrossan Harbour

But Peel Ports hit back at CalMac, insisting Ardrossan Harbour was "safe and effective" for the vessels that should be using the facilities.

And they claimed there had not been any cancellations at the Arran berth in recent history because of maintenance issues, unless it has been to carry out work to "address damage caused by CalMac".

Ms Clark said: “This is a welcome intervention from CalMac which only adds weight to calls to strip Peel Ports of their ownership of this strategic national asset.

“Peel’s suggestion that the ferry operator is primarily responsible for ‘damaging’ the facilities is misplaced given this is infrastructure which is there to be used to run a public service.

MV Alfred at the now closed Irish berth (Image: Newsquest)

“There has been a need to upgrade this infrastructure for many years.

"Peel has consistently failed to act, placing their profit margins and the interests of their shareholders ahead of the islanders and ferry users who rely upon this lifeline route.

“Labour has called for the harbour to be brought into public ownership for many years given Peel’s clear intransigence.

"It’s over six years since essential upgrades to the harbour were approved."

The MSP continued: "As it stands, we’ve not even had a cast iron commitment from the Scottish Government that Ardrossan will remain the mainland port for the Arran service, as it has been for 190 years, come what may.

“Rather than endlessly chucking public money at this opaquely owned mega firm, it’s past time the Scottish Government reflected on how we manage our ports and maritime assets.

"Ardrossan Harbour should be publicly owned, with improvements urgently made so the Ardrossan-Arran route is maintained in the long term, which is what islanders, ferry users and the workforce are demanding.”