Widespread fury over port owner's decision to permanently shut Irish berth
Ferry lobby groups, islanders and politicians have united to express their fury at Peel Ports’ decision to permanently shut the Irish berth at Ardrossan Harbour.
The firm say the call to close its auxiliary berth is due to accelerated wear and tear caused by increased use of the berth, which was relied upon by MV Alfred while it was supporting services on the Ardrossan to Brodick route.
The vessel, which is now conducting freight runs from Troon, was used for additional passenger capacity while regular ferry MV Caledonian Isles was away for its annual overhaul. The Irish berth is the only one at Ardrossan which can accommodate the MV Alfred’s dimensions, so its closure spells more uncertainty and almost certainly a reduced passenger service to Arran for the foreseeable future.
The announcement also comes at a time when Peel Ports, Transport Scotland, CalMac, CMAL and the Scottish Government are under increasing criticism for spending six years discussing, but not being able to agree on, plans to upgrade Ardrossan Harbour, with procurement having recently been halted while costs for the upgrade are being revaluated.
Jim McSporran, port director at Peel Ports Clydeport, defended the closure decision.
He said: “The Irish berth is a temporary floating pontoon and acts as an auxiliary berth, intended for occasional use only. It is offered when available and when needed, such as when the harbour faces adverse weather including strong easterly winds that affect the use of the Arran berth. There is no contractual commitment for its use.
“Initial indications suggested the MV Caledonian Isles would only be out of service for a temporary period, and the Alfred was introduced as a short-term relief vessel. However, the Caledonian has remained out of use, with little indication as to its future, meaning the Irish berth has had to support the route for much longer than intended.
“We’re acutely aware the closure of the Irish berth has already added to the frustration that’s long been felt by users of the ferry service, however, safety must always be our priority. We would like to reassure residents and businesses of Arran that the Arran berth is the primary berth for ferries into Ardrossan harbour and that service will continue to be used as normal, subject to any extreme weather conditions.”
Arran’s MSP Kenneth Gibson however has slammed Peel, blaming neglect and a lack of maintenance as the reasons for the closure.
He said: “It is a damning indictment of Peel Ports’ management of Ardrossan Harbour that the Irish berth - a huge asset - has been neglected to the point of closure.
“This is wholly the responsibility of Peel Ports. Not Transport Scotland, CalMac, CMAL or the Scottish Government.
“On December 28 last year, Peel Ports posted its results for the 12 months to March 31 2023 at Companies House. Its accounts show a huge rise in pre-tax profits from £66.6 million the previous year to £397.3 million. And yet for decades Peel has taken millions in landing fees from ferry travellers while failing to invest in the port and haggling with Scottish Ministers and North Ayrshire Council to squeeze the last penny from the taxpayer towards the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour.
“The people of Arran and Ardrossan are paying the price for the 1992 privatisation of Clydeport by the Tories, which took Ardrossan Harbour out of public control.
“The shutdown of the Irish berth now poses major questions about how ferry services to Arran are supported in the short term and the impact on the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour.
“I will meet with Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop MSP as a matter of urgency to press for solutions which increase capacity and resilience on the Arran service, whilst maintaining Ardrossan as the long-term Ayrshire port.”
Area MP Patricia Gibson echoed this sentiment, declaring that it is now time for a compulsory purchase order to be slapped on the harbour.
Mrs Gibson said: “Only two weeks ago, we were told the Irish berth had to close immediately due to ‘safety concerns’ after divers had examined it. Eventually it was revealed the berth suffers from ‘corrosion,’ the extent of which has not yet been revealed.
“Now Peel has suddenly decided to close the berth for good.
“The Irish berth has long added a layer of resilience to the Ardrossan to Brodick ferry service, most recently with the MV Alfred sailing from it.
“Its loss can only be detrimental to the communities of Ardrossan and Arran.
“The permanent closure of the Irish berth can only make it increasingly difficult to support ferry services to Arran in the short term and will undoubtedly have implications for the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour.
“The Tory privatisation of the harbour in 1992 has been good for Peel Ports. It has done nothing for the travelling public.
“Given Peel’s unilateral action, it’s time it was removed from the equation with a compulsory purchase of the harbour.”
CalMac chief executive Robbie Drummond said the firm was ’frustrated’ by the closure.
He added: “We are incredibly frustrated on behalf of our communities that Peel Ports has allowed the Irish berth to remain in a state of disrepair, to the point that today it announced it has been closed.
“It is the responsibility of the harbour authority to ensure safe use of the harbour and we rely on the owners to ensure it is fully operational. Otherwise, our ability to provide a reliable service to the communities we serve is more difficult.
“The berth was already in a very poor state of repair when we introduced MV Alfred onto the main Arran route in May last year. We remain concerned about the condition of the main berth in Ardrossan which has required maintenance work recently.
“Although this closure is challenging, we remain committed to doing our utmost to support our communities. We will continue to operate services to Arran using the main berth at Ardrossan with MV Isle of Arran, with additional commercial services provided by MV Alfred from Troon until MV Caledonian Isles has returned from annual overhaul.”
Katy Clark MSP says the move is a huge blow for those on both sides of the crossing.
She said: “This is another huge hammer blow for Ardrossan just days after the Scottish Government mooted the possibility the service could be relocated from the town.
“Ferry users and the local community have been failed miserably by owner Peel Ports and dithering Scottish Government ministers in the six years since the harbour upgrade project was announced. Today, the costs are unclear, there is no clear business plan in place and we are no closer to putting the infrastructure in place needed to run two lifeline ferries which were ordered nine years ago.
“The Scottish Government must now urgently clarify whether this latest closure will affect its proposed business case for the harbour redevelopment project and what clear mitigatory processes it will set up for the service in scenarios where the Arran berth is also out of use.
“I have written to Ardrossan Harbour Task Force members to demand a thorough assessment is made of the social and economic value of the ferry service to the town. A prolonged move to Troon would be absolutely devastating for Ardrossan. The Scottish Government must review this and reiterate its commitment that Ardrossan will remain the permanent destination for the Arran ferry.”
An Isle of Arran Ferry Committee spokesperson told the Arran Banner that they were disappointed to receive the news of the closure.
They added: “We have expressed our anxiety to PPG, CalMac and Transport Scotland and repeated our request for prompt action to conclude the revised business case to approve the required upgrades to Ardrossan.
“We have also highlighted the importance that the Arran berth is maintained in serviceable condition and that repairs required are carried out with urgency.
“We are meeting weekly with CalMac and Transport Scotland to discuss what is still required to ensure Troon is available as an alternative port for Arran and have requested a date to meet with the transport minister at the earliest opportunity.”
Jamie Greene MSP says it us time for a concerted cross-party campaign by all politicians to protect the transport hubs.
He said: “With the Irish berth out of action, the temporary move of the MV Alfred to Troon, and longer-term plans for the MV Glen Sannox to operate out of Troon, it is becoming clear to the Ardrossan community that its place as the base for the Arran route is being slowly eroded away.
“Eight years ago, local politicians came together in a superbly orchestrated campaign by the local paper to Save the Port.
“Once again it’s time to put our party differences aside to ‘Save Our Port’ and advocate for its proper redevelopment so that Ardrossan Harbour is fit to continue its historic role long into the future.”
A business case review on the viability of the harbour upgrade, ordered by the Scottish Government, is expected to be released ’imminently’.
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