A COUNCILLOR has claimed that Argyll and Bute’s harbour board is viewed as “little more than a boys’ club” by ruling elected members.
Councillor Andrew Vennard (Conservative, Oban North and Lorn) also remarked that a former harbour board chair would be “appalled” at Liberal Democrat members of the authority.
A motion by Cllr Vennard, calling for a meeting of the harbour board next month to consider a briefing note on Oban Harbour, was rejected at a full council meeting last week.
The harbour board’s chair, Councillor Ross Moreland (Liberal Democrat, Dunoon) has responded that the issue “is too important to use for political point-scoring”.
In a statement, Cllr Vennard said: “I was disappointed that the motion proposed by myself and Councillor Amanda Hampsey (Conservative, Oban South and the Isles) was voted down by the SNP and Liberal Democrat led administration councillors, which included six out of eight of the councillors from the Oban, Lorn, and the Isles area.
“None of those councillors accepted the need for openness and transparency and the proper functioning of council committees.
“By preventing a meeting of the harbour board from taking place, they have undermined and prevented scrutiny of the Oban Harbour revision order and caused needless reputational damage to Argyll and Bute Council. Serious questions need to be asked about the standards of leadership of the current administration.
“I am sure that Councillor Moreland’s predecessor Rory Colville, who was chair of the harbour board at the time when the council decided to take forward a municipal port for Oban, would be appalled at the deterioration in the quality of the leadership of the Liberal Democrat group.
“I’m also sure that he would be equally appalled that they have also decided to remove Councillor Fiona Howard (Labour, Helensburgh Central) from the harbour board, who was the only female administration councillor on the harbour board, as punishment for her support for our accounts motion, which has to rank as the most cowardly act which I have witnessed in my time as a councillor.
“The administration councillors clearly wish for the harbour board to be little more than a boys’ club where no serious questions or standards are expected.”
Cllr Moreland responded: “An almost direct copy of the previous motion that was brought to the harbour board and rejected, was again overwhelmingly rejected this time at full council, in favour of an amendment that will bring forward, as quickly as possible, the financial paper passed at the previous harbour board.
“Councillor Vennard, similar to his previous attempt, didn’t address the multiple times the Oban Harbour revision order has been in front of the harbour board, give any significant or urgent reasons why it should come back in front of the board and most importantly failed to address the point that the HRO currently sits with Transport Scotland.
“Councillor Vennard has been on the harbour board throughout the entire process of this HRO, and up until recently in administration and had not raised any motions regarding it.
“This issue, the same as most issues, is too important to use for political point-scoring and councillors shouldn’t look to speak up only when they have done the math and know that their motions won’t pass.
“As my predecessor as chair (Councillor Andrew Kain, Independent, Oban South and the Isles) rightly said on Thursday a huge amount of officer and councillor time as has been spent working on the HRO and engaging with local groups, to go back a step without a reason for doing so, especially when the issue sits with Transport Scotland, wouldn’t serve anyone well, especially the people of Oban.”
Cllr Howard was replaced on the harbour board by Cllr Kain at the same council meeting.
She had previously voted in favour of another motion by Cllr Vennard during a recent harbour board meeting, asking council officers to prepare statements of account on the authority’s eight harbour authorities. The motion was defeated on Councillor Moreland’s casting vote as chair after a 4-4 tie.
Mr Colville lost his seat on the council at the 2022 election, having served as a Liberal Democrat councillor since 2003. He has been contacted for comment.
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