Documents relating to the development of the Council's proposed Municipal Harbour

Despite initial enthusiasm and collaborative working, by mid-2021 the Council had apparently lost interest in the Trust Port project. An “options appraisal” was commissioned to look at the various options but, in the end, evaluated only the Trust Port. Without any evidence the appraisal concluded that either CMAL or the Council would be better-equipped to develop the new Harbour Authority quickly – possibly in time for the 2023 sailing season.

In view of the historical concerns regarding a CMAL-run harbour, the Council decided to promote the development of a Municipal Harbour for Oban. Initially this was the subject of a very simple on-line consultation from May to July 2022 with a ‘skeletal’ outline of a possible HRO. 56 responses were received; the clear majority either completely opposed to the Council’s proposals (18) or expressing reservations (28). More responses favoured the development of a Trust Port – which was not offered as an alternative – than gave wholehearted support to the Council (13). The Council’s summary of the responses paints a rather different picture!

During 2022, under the aegis of the Oban Bay Management Group, OCHDA attempted to support the Council’s decision, contributing extensively to the production of the first draft HRO in August 2022.