Council eyes UK funds for ‘whisky isles’
A replacement Jura ferry, improved connections between Islay’s ferry ports and electric buses all remain part of a bid for UK Government funding in Argyll and Bute.
Updated plans for a bid to the Levelling Up Fund have been revealed in a council report, with all four administrative areas of Argyll and Bute proposed to benefit.
Plans for the ‘whisky isles’ are now part of a collective £50 million transport bid entitled ‘Connected Argyll and Bute’.
The deadline for bids to the fund is likely to be around Easter, with the council also submitting a £20m regeneration bid for projects in Dunoon and Rothesay.
The report was before the authority’s policy and resources committee at its virtual meeting yesterday (Thursday February 17).
A report to the full council in September 2021 noted: ‘Both Islay and Jura have seen substantial growth in the output of their spirits industry that makes a substantial contribution to the UK Exchequer.
‘This project concerns an investment in the critical infrastructure of the islands, principally improvements to the local road network linking both the ferry terminals on Islay, including carriageway interventions, active travel investments and an electric bus service.
‘This project will also involve the replacement of the current Jura Ferry with a larger hybrid or electric ferry together with road improvements on Jura.
‘This work would complement proposed investment by CMAL at Port Ellen with capital contributions sought from the private sector. In addition there may also be a possibility of linking into the generation of tidal energy being taken forward by the private sector.’
Executive director Kirsty Flanagan said in the report: ‘[The] key issue for the buses will be meeting revenue implications and there will be a need to match fund this capital bid with 10 per cent of the capital costs.
‘It should be noted that Transport Scotland, through its infrastructure partner CMAL, is taking forward a series of transport connectivity projects on the island, most notably the expansion of Port Ellen Ferry Terminal. There is potential to work with this project to add impact to our proposal.
‘[A] replacement Jura ferry [is planned] to create an increased capacity and resilience. [We are] working with CMAL on small vessel replacement.
‘[We are] looking to have a common style of vessel, 4549m long, to provide resilience across the west coast network and reduce upfront costs with a single model. Low to zero emission is a key priority.
‘[In relation to] strategic connectivity linking Port Askaig, Port Ellen and the airport… [a] route has been identified with improvements to accommodate increasing capacity readily deliverable.
‘There are two roads connecting Ports Ellen and Askaig which run broadly parallel - the A846 which runs past the entrance of the airport and the B8016 which runs to the rear (east) of the airport.
‘By virtue of the A road status and its slightly better standard the A846 should be the preferred route for all traffic and the B road promoted more for cycle and walking.’
Ms Flanagan also said: ‘The council has determined to submit two bids to the next round of the Levelling Up Fund to be announced by the UK Government.
‘One bid will be for an area regeneration town centre project, maximum £20m, and the other a transport bid up to £50m. The latest information from the UK Government is that it is likely to be an Easter deadline, and the criteria will be largely the same as the first round subject to some refinement. No further details have been provided at the time of writing this brief.’