THE problems of Tayinloan Pier and keeping the lifeline ferry link to the Isle of Gigha open are to be thrashed out at a special council committee meeting called for March 25.
The biggest problem appears to be that there is no money in the budget to do the work but all sides are agreed that something has to be done.
The Mid Argyll Kintyre and Islay Area Committee will meet on March 25 at Tayinloan Pier at 10.15am before boarding the ferry for the island.
Representatives of Argyll and Islands Enterprise, the council’s own finance department and transport spokesman councillor Duncan MacIntyre have been invited to attend.
The winters of 2006 and 2007 saw the islanders facing dreadful problems, as the berth at Tayinloan kept silting up with sand and weed driven in by storms; the alternative is a lengthy journey via Kennacraig when only a limited number of vehicles and people can be carried.
Farmers ran short of feed for cattle and had to dump milk; grammar school children couldn’t get to the mainland or home and teaching staff couldn’t get to the primary school on the island.
Tradesmen couldn’t get to the island or ended up being stranded. The area committee was given a report when it met in Campbeltown last week which outlined the options and the money available.
The five options are to continue to just keep dredging the berth at a cost of £12,500 a year; a ‘sand bypass’ which would cost £560,000 and last for 10 years; lengthen the breakwater at Tayinloan, at £320,000 for 10 years; lengthen the breakwater and the sand bypass which would cost £600,000 and give 20 years use or spend a massive £1.6 million and modify the causeway which would potentially give a life of more than 20 years.
All well and good but there is no money in the budget for this year. There is £1M in this year’s Argyll and Bute budget for work on Rothesay pier and £1M each earmarked for Port Askaig and Tayinloan in 2009 - 2010 and then £1M in 2010 -2011 for Tayinloan.
The Scottish Government elected to disburse the piers and harbours grant funds to local authorities, a sum of £15.M overall for this and the following two financial years.
As well as the spending listed there is £6.8M for Raasay this year and the island will receive a further £2.2M the year after and £519,000 the year after that.
‘The impact of this is clear. There are no monies identified for the forthcoming year and those scheduled for 2009-2010 are substantially less than required,’ said a report to the councillors. The report adds that the council should approach the Scottish Government for a Piers and Harbours grant; other funding could come through HiTrans and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
‘Everyone is agreed that continuing the process of just dredging is a no-no because of the disruption to Gigha,’ Councillor Robin Currie told his fellow councillors at the area committee meeting.
‘We all accept how urgent this is,’ said Councillor Anne Horn, ‘the whole island’s economy is in jeopardy if we don’t get the pier cleared.’
Councillor John Semple said: ‘I raised the issue of funding for this project during the budget process.’
Councillor Donald Kelly called on the council’s executive to look at its reserves to find cash to help finance the work. ‘This is a lifeline service,’ he said.
