Bid to control Oban Bay
A plan by CMAL to control all of Oban Bay, including the North Channel, ‘to improve safety’ has been met with suspicion by mariners.
Currently Oban Bay, covering all waters inside of the Isle of Kerrera, has two Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHA), with two harbour masters from Argyll and Bute Council (A&BC) and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), which owns the west coast and Clyde ferries infrastructure.
CMAL plans to manage the entire bay, via a decision by the Oban Bay Management Group (OBMG), made up from A&BC, CMAL, its sister company CalMac, the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) and the chairperson of the Oban Bay Stakeholders’ Group.
In an online questionnaire, which closes on July 31, the OBMG says Oban’s Railway and South piers handle 13,000 large vessel movements per year, the North Pier 5,600, and the NLB Pier 500, alongside 20,000 small vessels. The OBMG has concluded ‘a statutory harbour for the wider Oban Bay area is required to significantly reduce the current risks that have been identified and to enhance the commercial viability of Oban’.
It estimates CMAL presents the cheapest option in the first year at £268,000, compared to £278,000 for A&BC, and £966,000 for a trust port.
The questionnaire says: ‘CMAL and the OBMG are committed to improving marine safety within Oban Bay and managing activities in a collaborative manner for the benefit of all users. It is proposed the OBMG would feed directly into the CMAL board to ensure local considerations continue to have a strong voice.’
However, mariners on the Oban Bay Stakeholders’ Group questioned the accuracy of the figures, claiming CMAL ‘had made up its mind in advance’ and did not intend to listen.
According to one stakeholder, a March meeting was a ‘fait accompli’: ‘We were treated to a monologue from CMAL on what was to happen, that A&BC had expressed no further interest in the control of the bay.’ Stakeholders, they said, were ‘an irritant not to be taken seriously’.
Another said: ‘Oban Bay belongs to the people of the town and those who use it, not a sole business. We have not been asked, we have been told.’
And another added: ‘The perception, in the light of CMAL/ CalMac’s performance in other harbours, is it will be run for the benefit of CalMac, with the interests of other users being neglected.’
CalMac harbour master Paul Jennings said a decision had been made for CMAL to move on with the Harbour Revision Order. As demanded by the Scottish Government, CMAL has to carry out a consultation first. He said more than 550 local businesses would be invited to have a say, with two public meetings this year.
‘There is nothing to hide. We want to encourage debate,’ Mr Jennings said. ‘If at a later stage someone wants to set up a trust port we will step back.’
Councillor Elaine Robertson said: ‘Any consultation needs to be as wide as possible.’