HIGH-LEVEL talks between North Ayrshire Council and Peel Ports took place on Tuesday to help ensure Ardrossan Harbour retains the ‘shortest, fastest and cheapest’ ferry route to Arran.

Council leader Joe Cullinane and Chief Executive Elma Murray met with Peel Ports’ chief operating officer Gary Hodgson to examine investment options for significantly improved passenger and berthing facilities at Ardrossan for the new generation of ferries being introduced by Calmac in 2018.

Councillor Cullinane said there had been “significant and meaningful progress” at the meeting and expressed his confidence that the economic, social and environmental case for the service being retained at Ardrossan was “overwhelming”.

He said: “We have been speaking to Peel Ports for several months to take forward the regeneration of the harbour and the ferry terminal and we are greatly encouraged by these latest discussions.

“We are now seeking an early meeting with the Scottish Transport Minister Humza Yousaf to underline the enormous benefits of retaining Ardrossan as the shortest, fastest and cheapest route to Arran.

“The announcement from Associated British Ports last week that they wanted to hijack the Arran service and operate it from Troon was both predatory and disingenuous.

“Their claim that Troon offered a more appropriate harbour simply isn’t backed up by fact.

“In fact, a senior Calmac executive, speaking at a recent public meeting organised by the Arran Ferry Working Group, stated quite clearly: ‘If a vessel can’t get into Ardrossan due to weather, it can’t get into Troon. The weather that affects Ardrossan affects Troon’.”

Peel Ports’ Gary Hodgson said the reason why the service had operated successfully from Brodick to Ardrossan for over 180 years is because it is the fastest, shortest and most convenient service linking Arran to the mainland.

He said: “A return journey to Brodick from Troon would be significantly longer, between 45 and 55 minutes longer - which could seriously curtail the number of daily sailings which local people and visitors rely on.

“When you take into account the statutory Road Equivalent Tariff formula - which determines ticket prices - the additional distance means passengers or the taxpayer would have to pick up the extra cost for an inferior service.

“The introduction of two new £43.5m Calmac hybrid ferries in 2018 represents a new era in the long-standing links between Ardrossan and Arran and we are committed to ensuring we have the appropriate facilities to complement these new vessels.”