2 days Ago
Whilst I wholeheartedly support both management and workforce at Ferguson Marine Ltd. and would welcome a successful bid for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme (SVRP), one issue which has been raised and yet to be resolved, is the fact that Ferguson Marine Ltd does not have dry-docking facilities. One solution which has been banded around is the use of Inchgreen Drydock.
However, there are other alternative drydocks nearby. Inverclyde Council acquired both Scott's Drydock and East India Harbour, the location of the former Lamont's Drydock, plus other land from Renfrewshire Enterprise at a cost of £95k in February 1999, so both dry docks could be considered. The first option, the former Scott's Drydock, could be problematic as the fairway was inexplicably narrowed when the new walkway at Cartsburn was constructed.
Furthermore, access by crane is limited to one side, so effectively this would be ruled out as an option. The second option is the infilled former Lamont's Drydock, but once again there are a number of issues to be addressed. The first issue is the 125-year lease from Riverside Inverclyde (Property Holdings) Ltd.
to Peel Land and Property (Greenock Harbours) Ltd. What is known is that Inverclyde Council's regeneration committee authorised the transfer of 4.88 hectares of land at East India Harbour to Riverside Inverclyde (Property Holdings) Ltd.
at its meeting on January 17, 2008 and that, in turn, this land was leased by Riverside Inverclyde (Property Holdings) Ltd. to Peel Land and Property (Greenock Harbours) Ltd. This land has been subject to land ownership disputes, amply explained by the late Andy Wilson on YouTube – The Fight For Greenock Harbour (Common Good).
It is recorded that the Scottish Executive requested that £2.509m of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) be repaid and furthermore, following extensive negotiation, Inverclyde Council was due to make payment of £731,250 to Scottish Enterprise. This now raises questions as to what terms and conditions were negotiated during each transfer and whether it would be beneficial for this land to be transferred back to Riverside Inverclyde (Property Holdings) Ltd, or indeed to Inverclyde Council.
Taking cognisance that the replacement James Watt College will not be constructed at the harbour, the second issue is this: is there the will to redevelop the harbour? This would include seeking finance to open up the former Lamont’s Drydock and negotiate a long-term lease with Ferguson Marine, thus solving Ferguson Marine’s requirement for dry-docking facilities and simultaneously generating a financial income for Inverclyde Council..
