A BID to arrange an additional Argyll and Bute harbour board meeting has failed for a second time.
Councillor Andrew Vennard (Conservative, Oban North and Lorn) had previously sought an extra meeting on the Oban Harbour draft revision order when the harbour board last met on Thursday, September 12.
But his urgent motion was rejected by the board’s chair, Councillor Ross Moreland (Liberal Democrat, Dunoon) at the meeting.
Cllr Vennard then tried to get Argyll and Bute Council to agree to a meeting of the harbour board to take place on Thursday, October 17.
However, Cllr Moreland submitted an amendment asking the council to note the “significant works” undertaken on the revision order, and that the matter now sits with Transport Scotland. His amendment was overwhelmingly backed by councillors.
Speaking to his motion, Cllr Vennard said: “The last time the harbour board met on this was in January. There have been a substantial number of objections, in excess of 100, on the harbour revision order.
“The natural process requires scrutiny and periodic reports, and the opportunity for council members to scrutinise the decisions of the council.
“For that reason, the motion is being proposed. It is not willing to discuss matters in public, it is making decisions in secret, and that is a view of the council we do not want to see.
“It does not project the council in a positive light. We should always have the confidence in explaining our decisions and have the opportunity to scrutinise and ask questions.”
Cllr Moreland backed his amendment by saying: “There has been a very large amount of engagement on the harbour revision order by officers and councillors, especially by Councillor Andrew Kain (Independent, Oban South and the Isles), my predecessor as chair.
“If there is any massive issue, we can deal with it at the time. The amendment also calls for a meeting this year instead of next, to deal with the financial impact raised.”
Cllr Kain then said: “There has been more transparency on this subject than anything I have been involved in in my life. The amount of officer and harbour board time taken up is extraordinary.
“If you did a freedom of information request as to the cost of it, it would be beyond anything else I have seen on this council. This has been addressed again and again.
“I am surprised at Councillor Vennard as he was vice chair of the harbour board when this was initiated.
“But I cannot see how any more time on this could be to anybody’s advantage. The harbour board is dealing with it very effectively.”
Councillor Maurice Corry (Conservative, Lomond North) said: “I experienced real problems in Kilcreggan during my first spell as a councillor where the council did not push to pick up the money from people who came to the pier.
“We were dropping out of several thousand pounds, which might seem small fry, but I asked that we followed these things up.
“There is no reason not to have good scrutiny and see which harbours are in profit and which are losing us money.”
Cllr Vennard’s motion was seconded by Councillor Amanda Hampsey (Conservative, Oban South and the Isles), while Councillor Moreland’s amendment was seconded by Councillor John Armour (SNP, South Kintyre).
After a roll call vote among councillors, the amendment prevailed by 22 votes to 10.
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