Oban harbour campaigners have unanimously approved a commitment to continue to help Argyll and Bute Council develop a Municipal Port - in principle.
The move came at OCHDA’s recent AGM as a further step towards the town getting a new Statutory Harbour Association, "with a view to the later development of a Trust Port", an OCHDA spokesperson said.
Objections to the 2023 draft Harbour Revision Order were re-affirmed at the organisation’s AGM, where renewed calls were also made for the council "to engage positively with the community to address the concerns raised in the recent consultation".
OCHDA says "in the absence of information from Argyll and Bute Council or Transport Scotland", it has now published its own analysis of 76 of the submissions it has seen in response to that draft order.
You can view that document here ochda.scot/draft-hro-consultation/&source=gmail&ust=1709629326118000&usg=AOvVaw2_0eiDh64jVDruZZ9jRbYa">ochda.scot/draft-hro-consultation/
OCHDA’s spokesperson said: "This is a public document and is intended to help inform those who made submissions as well as our elected representatives who will be involved in decision-making.
"We are publishing this in view of the apparent lack of intention to publish the full text of the 126 submissions they have received. We have requested this under FOI regulations.
"In answer to a recent question regarding the process and timescale for the next steps, anyone who contributed to the consultation will be interested to learn that, according to the council: "due to the large number of representations received it has proven difficult to determine a timeframe (for the next stage of the process). The council is currently working through the representations and will answer each individually in due course."
Argyll and Bute Council’s Harbour Board has a meeting scheduled for March 21.
The OCHDA spokesperson added: "We are very much hoping that some openness is shown by the council in informing the public regarding their intentions and committing to effective collaboration with representatives of all stakeholders and all harbour users."
The Oban Times asked Argyll and Bute Council to comment on this and we were told the official response was the quote OCHDA had already referred to in this article.
The council’s executive director Kirsty Flanagan said: "Due to the large number of representations received it has proven difficult to determine a timeframe (for the next stage of the process). The council is currently working through the representations and will answer each individually in due course. Transport Scotland are aware of this position."
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