the oban times
27 December 2007
Oban Bay breakwater plan to mirror Tobermory success:
Pontoons to pour millions into Oban
by Euan Paterson
An 80-berth pontoon development will pour £3 million into Oban's
economy every year, it was claimed this week.
A consortium, consisting businessmen John MacGregor, Paul Sloan
and Calum MacLachlainn, plans to boost Oban's ailing tourist
trade by creating a pontoon and concrete breakwater under the
ethos "facilities for all". Once established, the pontoon would
be run by a board of directors made of representatives from the
fishing industry, CalMac Ltd, yachting groups and other harbour
stakeholders plus four members of the public. This board will be
selected at a public meeting on January 18 at 7.30pm in the
Argyllshire Gathering Halls, to be chaired by Argyll and Bute
MSP Jim Mather, to which everyone interested in Oban Bay is
invited.
A spokesman for the consortium said: "We are trying to create
facilities for all in Oban Bay whereby everyone will benefit;
no-one should be disadvantaged. The consortium has the opinion
that a pontoon development between the north and south piers is
vital for Oban to move forward as a tourist destination. Out
tourist season has declined and we have to reverse this trend
and bring in people who will spend real money in the town."
It is envisaged the pontoon will provide a "car park on water"
for private yachts and floating concrete breakwater (26 metres
long, two metres deep and two-and-a-half metres wide) for
pleasure craft and fishing boats. The bay will need to be
dredged in order for the project to go ahead but the consortium
said this will not affect the man-made beach in front of George
Street and that the development fits in with Argyll and Bute
Council's plan for the bay. Much of the design has been based on
the successful Tobermory Bay harbour development, which brings
in around £1 million per year.
A not-for-profit community company would run the Oban pontoons,
estimated to cost around £1.8 million, will hire one or two
full-time staff.
The spokesman continued: "Based on the Tobermory model, which we
will be following very closely, an Oban development could bring
in between £2-3 million per year, taking into consideration the
present bus, rail, ferry and airport links. But we need to meet
the initial cost and secure an income stream, so we are
employing a full-time fundraiser. Once the pontoon development
is finsihed, and an income stream is established, the consortium
will be taking a back seat."
The spokesman added that if everything runs smoothly it hopes to
have the pontoon development up and running as early as April
2009.
Ian Wallace, owner of chandlers Nancy Blacks in Argyll Square,
said: "A development like this will help the town and generate a
lot more business. Yacht and boat owners have money to spend,
although I think only certain retailers, in leisure and food and
drink, will benefit directly. It will probably be competition
for the Kerrera marina but I think, the more the merrier. In my
experience, a lot of boats leave Oban because there is nowhere
in the town to berth."
However, Peter Tosh of Caley Fisheries said that while fishermen
agree with the project in principle there are a few
reservations. He added: "We're not against something that is
good for the town but a lot of skippers think it is in the wrong
place because that area gets congested."