Mull wants to keep £1.6m pier fees windfall money

‘GIVE us the money from the pier’ was the call from Mull Community Council to Argyll and Bute Council after it learned the increase in passenger pier dues would mean more than £1.6 million landing in council coffers. Under government legislation the group feels it is entitled to take over the running of the pier to put more back into supporting the residents’ and tourists’ infrastructure on the island.

The community council’s ferry representative Neil Goldsmith said there were ‘murky waters’ over whether or not the group could have the responsibility.

He said: ‘This is the biggest area for ferries and whoever runs the pier would have to do so in a professional manner.’

Mull Community Council chairman Billy McClymont said he believed it was up to the community to put a bid to the council and to gather the support required to take the asset from the local authority.

Mr McClymont said: ‘If they are not funding the upgrade of the pier to the standard we need, and while our road surface is not coping with the increase in vehicles, we should be able to take over the pier and the associated dues to make things work on Mull.

‘We need to keep the money where it needs to be spent.

‘It is high time we approached the council to keep the £1.1 million and the extra £ 500,000 due to Mull from pier dues this year alone.’