Representatives of Argyll and Bute Council, the Scottish Government and Inverclyde Council, have reaffirmed their commitment to a centre-to-centre vehicle and ferry passenger service between Dunoon and Gourock.

At a high-level meeting which took place Thursday 14th August, Argyll and Bute Council Leader, Councillor Dick Walsh, met with Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, and Councillor Jim Clocherty, Inverclyde Council's Convener of Regeneration, where he proposed a tripartite approach towards securing the future of the ferry service.

Councillor Walsh said: "I am pleased that the Minister and Councillor Clocherty have agreed to adopt this united tripartite approach. This is a positive step towards developing a ferry service around the needs of the communities involved and not around the needs of the operators.

"There is little doubt that pressure from the communities involved is increasing. They feel that this situation has gone on long enough. We in the Council have been working hard over a long period of time. Indeed, only in May I met with Commissioner Barot along with a representative of the Scottish Government. The Commissioner is in support of our position and approach to this important service and agrees that it can be tendered.

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"Furthermore, the Commissioner agreed to appoint one of the EU officials to work with Argyll and Bute Council and the Scottish Government on the Gourock/Dunoon ferry service, who would also visit Dunoon/Inverclyde. This is because the routes are not like for like.

"He also agreed with us on the need to appoint an independent regulator to prepare the way for the tender and what should be in it in order to ensure that the service reflects public need and is in the best interest of the local communities of Cowal and Inverclyde."

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Stevenson said: "A Gourock - Dunoon service which satisfies everyone's aspirations is not without its challenges and I am aware that looking from the outside it may look like we are not moving as quickly as many people would wish. I want to assure the community that behind the scenes we are all working extremely hard to progress this."

Mr Stevenson continued: "The reality is that the pace is dictated by ensuring that we wrap up all the EC legal requirements as tightly as possible. If we don't, we may fall into the trap of other countries who have fallen foul of the European Commission. That would do no-one any good. A substantial financial penalty imposed by the EC would come right out of the ferries budget which would be disastrous for both Gourock - Dunoon and our other lifeline services."

Other items on the agenda included the Campbeltown to Ballycastle ferry and the Council's Piers and Harbours budget.

(GK/JM)