Government considers buying Ardrossan harbour

The development of Ardrossan Harbour has been stalled for years in a stand-off between the government and its private owner

The Scottish government is looking into buying Ardrossan Harbour, the development of which has been stalled for the last seven years.

The site needs an estimated £80m upgrade but there has been no agreement between owner Peel Ports, the Scottish government and North Ayrshire Council over who should pay.

Two new ferries being deployed on CalMac's Arran route are also too big to fit the harbour's jetty, ultimately limiting the number of sailings to and from Arran.

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop confirmed funding for a deal to purchase the North Ayrshire site had been set aside in the upcoming budget.

For decades, Ardrossan has been the gateway to Arran but at present, neither the new CalMac ferry MV Glen Sannox, nor the chartered catamaran Alfred are able to berth at the existing facilities.

They are currently sailing from Troon instead.

In fact no CalMac ships at all have sailed from Ardrossan since mid-January, when Glen Sannox entered service.

Sailings are expected to resume when MV Caledonian Isles returns next month after repairs.

The Ardrossan Harbour Project was given the go-ahead in 2018 by then transport minister Humza Yousaf who promised the North Ayrshire town would remain the main gateway to Arran.

But Transport Scotland paused the project in 2023 following concerns about rising costs, and said a new business case would be developed.

Last month Kevin Hobbs, chief executive of government-owned ferries and harbours body CMAL, told MSPs that talks with the port's private owner about funding remained "in the middle of nowhere".

Glen Sannox and its sister ship Glen Rosa, due for delivery in the autumn, will also have to rely on road tankers for their liquefied natural gas (LNG) refuelling because no dedicated facilities have yet been constructed.

CMAL awarded a contract to build the LNG storage and fast refuelling station to a Danish company in 2020 - but Mr Hobbs said construction could not begin until a firm decision was taken on where the new ferries would be based.

The Glen Sannox ferry arriving in Brodick on Arran from Troon on its first official day in service (with the catamaran Alfred in the background)

On Wednesday Hyslop said she had instructed Transport Scotland and CMAL to explore the potential purchase.

"I have taken this step to ensure we make progress on finding a solution at Ardrossan that can be delivered in a cost-effective way," she said.

The transport secretary said that negotiations on delivering improvements at the port had been "complex" and a decision had not been reached on the commercial approach.

This, she said, had led to uncertainty that communities in Arran and Ardrossan "cannot afford".

She said: "The owners of Ardrossan Harbour, Peel Ports Group, have highlighted that they continue to invest in the harbour to ensure it remains operational.

"We all absolutely understand people and communities' views in favour of retaining Ardrossan as the mainland port and remain committed to ensuring the Arran ferry service is fit for the future.

"Discussions around the potential change of ownership are progressing at pace and in good faith and I'm confident this will bring reassurance to everyone with an interest in the Arran Ferry service."

Future of harbour

Peel Ports welcomed the announcement and said it had spent several million pounds to "maintain the critical service and designing and securing necessary consents" for the harbour's redevelopment.

Port director Jim McSporran added: "It is important to clarify that despite repeated and incorrect reports, at no point has Peel Ports Group neither received or spent 'millions of pounds' of public funds to upgrade the harbour during its ownership.

"Regardless of the outcome of this process, our willingness to invest in the harbour remains steadfast."

Matthew McGowan, from the Save Adrossan Harbour campaign group, said he was concerned by the news, as well as the lack of a timescale from the Scottish government.

He told BBC Scotland News that he thought ministers were still in negotiations on the previous development plan and added there had not been a "great amount of transparency".

Mr McGowan said: "Now we've got a whole new situation that requires further discussion and investigation.

"We'd like [the Scottish government] to engage with the community because right now that's not happening. People are left in limbo and we need things on track as soon as we can."

He said local residents and businesses had seen a negative impact in Ardrossan since the ferry route moved to Troon.

North Ayrshire Council leader Marie Burns welcomed the news and said the Ardrossan to Brodick route was the "shortest, fastest, greenest and cheapest route" which served people in Arran best.

She said: "There has been understandable anxiety over the future of the facility however we have always been confident that the economic, environmental, practical and social case for retaining and improving Ardrossan Harbour was overwhelming.

"We are delighted that the Scottish government has recognised this uncertainty and has committed to push forward discussions at pace around the potential change of ownership at the harbour.

"We hope this is key moment towards securing the future of a key infrastructure facility which will deliver a more resilient service to Arran."

Ferries union RMT said the announcement was a "vital step forward" and one that must lead to full public ownership.

General secretary Mick Lynch said: "For too long, private interests have drained vital resources while neglecting essential maintenance, leaving workers and passengers to deal with the consequences.

"A publicly owned and operated Ardrossan Harbour would ensure that every penny is reinvested into improving services, upgrading infrastructure, and securing long-term economic stability for the region."