Go ahead for £50m bid for one Corran ferry

Highland Council will go full steam ahead in a bid to secure £50m of UK Government funding towards the cost of a new electric ferry across Loch Linnhe.

Proposed by the ruling administration of SNP and Highland Independent councillors, the bid to the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund was agreed at last Thursday’s full council meeting.

The bid was originally based on a business case for investment in two new ferries for the Corran Narrows.

However, the proposal agreed was for a single electric ferry, relying on the 23-year-old MV Corran as a back-up, until a second ferry can be delivered.

Chairperson of the economy and infrastructure committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “I’m pleased that members have agreed we can press ahead with preparing an application to the Levelling Up Fund and in the meantime, we will continue to work closely with the local communities to provide support and the current contingency measures will remain in place until the ferry is back in operation.”

An amendment, moved by Conservative councillors, called on the council to also investigate a fixed link for the Corran Narrows.

Members noted the Scottish Government’s unwillingness to consider funding a fixed link over the Corran Narrows within the Strategic Transport Review.

Conservative councillor Ruraidh Stewart (Eilean a’ Cheò) said: “The discussion today is about a bid to the UK Government Levelling Up Fund, not the Scottish Government’s unwillingness to fund a fixed link. The lack of funding from Transport Scotland should not preclude us from submitting a bid for a fixed link to the UK Government.”

Conservative group members called for an options appraisal as a critical step in making informed decision on what option to progress with.

But the amendment was defeated 58 votes to 10. Members from all groups expressed the need to get behind the bid and support the proposal put forward to the council.

The bid was also backed by five of the six identified community council areas which met prior to last week’s meeting.

However, Acharacle Community Council is looking for “a great deal more questions to be answered”, and at their monthly meeting last Tuesday (May 9) agreed to take independent action.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, May 10, members said: “Highland Council has argued repeatedly that we need two new ferries to service the crossing, but has dropped this requirement to one without any explanation.

“They have argued that the MV Corran is not suitable to be used as a back-up vessel, but have now suggested that this is possible, without any explanation. We are all painfully aware of the need to get the service fully operational again as soon as possible, and that should be the priority.

“This is a longer-term (4+ years) proposal for ferry replacement which has been hastily amended to suit what funds they think might be available.

“Funding is tight and compromises need to be reached, but ploughing head-long into this adapted proposal without properly thinking through the implications is a mistake and Acharacle Community Council cannot support it.”

A further report will be brought to the council providing further details of the process for round three of the Levelling Up Fund, with an appraisal of the other constituency bids for agreement.

‘Ploughing headlong into this adapted proposal without properly thinking through the implications is a mistake...’