DISAPPOINTMENT has been voiced by an opposition councillor after four motions relating to piers and harbours in Argyll and Bute were rejected.
Councillor Andrew Vennard (Conservative, Oban North and Lorn) moved a motion at a full council meeting, asking that members lobby Scottish ministers for more funding for the council’s harbour investment programme and management plan.
It also asked that the council defer any decisions for awarding contracts on projects at Craignure, Fionnphort, Gigha and Tayinloan until early November.
He told the council meeting on Thursday, January 29: “Each of these projects involves harbours that serve lifeline ferry routes operated by CalMac, and are harbours where the ownership of the piers could potentially be transferred to CMAL as part of any financial assistance which the Scottish ministers may be able to provide.”
Councillor Ross Moreland (Liberal Democrat, Dunoon) put up an amendment saying that “Pausing decisions made by the harbour board for most of 2026 could risk significant delay to improving our vital services.”
The amendment won on a roll call vote by 20 votes to 11.
At a subsequent meeting of the Argyll and Bute harbour board the same day, Councillor Vennard asked that a report should be prepared on repairs to council marine assets damaged in Storm Eowyn on January 24, 2025.
He also asked for an annual programme of business days for the Argyll and Bute harbour board, and a report to be prepared on piers and harbours and their income and expenditure.
However, only he and Councillor Maurice Corry (Conservative, Lomond North) backed the three motions, with five other councillors voting for amendments on all three.
Councillor Moreland moved the amendments to all three. On the request for a report on Storm Eowyn he asked that the board “Notes that damage caused to the council’s marine assets, which have been required as a result of Storm Eowyn, is ongoing and that resources dedicated to this will be reported to the harbour board”.
On the motion for a programme of business days, he asked that the board “Agrees that the number of planned meetings is appropriate and notes that special meetings can be arranged if required.”
Councillor Moreland’s amendment for the final motion read: “The harbour board notes that there is financial reporting to the harbour board and this was increased in 2025 when it was agreed, that developing on best practice, an annual statement of income and expenditure for each of the statutory harbour authorities will be provided to the harbour board upon completion of the audit of the annual accounts.”
All three amendments were seconded by Councillor John Armour (SNP, South Kintyre) and won on a roll call vote among the seven councillors present at the harbour board meeting.
Councillor Vennard later said: “Despite [the] vote, none of the facts about the harbour investment programme have changed.
“It is clear that the existing proposed harbour fees will be inadequate to balance the piers and harbour budget and cover the loan charges which will be involved in the harbour investment programme, and without a substantial funding package or a programme of harbour asset transfer schemes, steep increases in harbour fees and charges are inevitable, which is clearly cause for concern for harbour users and the marine economy in Argyll and Bute.
“At the harbour board meeting today, the administration councillors also voted against improvements to the financial reporting regime for the harbour board, which are in clear need of improvement.
“Despite these setbacks, our opposition group will continue to press for the need for funding for the harbour investment programme, and to improve the financial reporting regime for the harbour board.”
