COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LAUNCHED FOR GOUROCK FERRY TERMINAL REDEVELOPMENT
A community engagement survey has been launched to seek community views on proposals for the redevelopment of Gourock Ferry Terminal.
Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), which owns the ferry terminal, is leading and developing plans to upgrade and modernise the harbour infrastructure.
The project is part of a wider programme of work, involving CMAL, CalMac, Transport Scotland and Argyll & Bute Council, to improve infrastructure at harbours at Gourock, Dunoon and Kilcreggan, and to build new passenger vessels for routes between the three ports.
Six infrastructure options for Gourock Ferry Terminal have been developed. A preferred option has emerged based on an appraisal against project requirements, as well as transport planning objectives and Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) criteria.
Extensive information has been published on CMAL’s website to allow passengers, community stakeholders and other interested parties to review the project requirements, transport planning objectives, STAG criteria and the six options. An online feedback form is available for those who wish to share their views www.cmassets.co.uk/gourockmasterplansurvey Alternatively, people can write to: CMAL, Municipal Buildings, Fore Street, Port Glasgow, PA14 5EQ.
The package of information on CMAL’s website includes an update from Transport Scotland on its current ferry policy work. Passengers are being asked to provide their feedback on this directly to Transport Scotland by emailing gdkprogramme@transport.gov.scot
Graeme McGinty, senior project manager at CMAL, said:
“At this stage, the options and designs are outline with much of the detail still to be developed. However, we are at an appropriate stage to seek the views of the community, the process followed and the resulting preferred option.
“We welcome feedback from the community, particularly those who use the ferry service and harbour regularly. Feedback will be considered when making a decision on the final preferred option and in the subsequent development of that option.”
Once feedback has been analysed, the final preferred option will be presented to the project Reference Group, which has representatives from Dunoon Community Council, Inverclyde Community Council, Kilcreggan Community Council, Argyll and Inverclyde Councillors, Faslane and Coulport Naval bases. A final proposal will be submitted to Transport Scotland before the end of the year.
The current consultation is for the harbour upgrade project at Gourock Ferry Terminal only. Community consultation exercises for the new vessels project and the harbour upgrades at Dunoon and Kilcreggan will be conducted separately in due course.
CMAL has an ambitious plan of investment underway, which will deliver 21 new vessels for the fleet and multi-million-pound upgrade of harbour infrastructure in the next 10 years, backed by a £580 million commitment from the Scottish Government for an initial five-year period from 2021 to 2026.
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