MSP’s high hopes for Arnish yard

Hopes for the future of the Arnish yard in the Isle of Lewis remain high, according to Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MSP Alasdair Allan.

The islands MSP was speaking after meeting with Sean Power, vice president for business development of DF Barnes, to discuss the firm’s vision for the yard’s future.

In April this year DF Barnes acquired BiFab as part of an agreement brokered by the Scottish Government to support new opportunities at the yard for fabrication and construction in the marine, renewables and energy sector.

Over the summer, DF Barnes confirmed there would be redundancies, prompting criticism from trade union GMB Scotland which described the redundancies as ‘the effective closure’ of the deep water quay. At that time, DF Barnes said it was working to secure new contracts for BiFab.

Now, Alasdair Allan MSP has been reassured of the yard’s future under DF Barnes after his meeting with Mr Power.

He said: ‘I am very encouraged by the commitment shown by the company in its efforts to bring work back to Arnish, with a bid for a significant new project being submitted in the past few days. I am also grateful for the reassurance that the yard is a key part of its plans.

‘There does seem to be a recognition of the huge asset now at the company’s disposal, in terms of the skills and attributes of the local workforce. The workforce has been absolutely key to the survival of BiFab during its most difficult period, and I was very happy to update a representative of the former works committee at Arnish on these developments.’

‘Arnish plays a significant role in the economy of Lewis and it is difficult to imagine the future without it,’ Mr Allan continued.

‘As the local MSP for the area, I have continued to stress that Arnish is uniquely placed to capitalise on future manufacturing opportunities in the expanding Scottish renewables sector. There is now every reason to be optimistic for the future and for jobs to return.’