A BID to move the Arran ferry service from Ardrossan to Troon has been branded "nothing short of cataclysmic" by North Ayrshire Council.

The firm which owns the port in well-to-do Troon has offered to invest £8m in the town if it can poach lucrative links to the Clyde island from poverty-hit Ardrossan.

Associated British Ports has pledged to redevelop the mothballed ferry dock in Troon, which recently lost a service to Northern Ireland.

But it will only do so if it can lure the government-owned and subsidised Calmac ferry service from is current mainland port at Ardrossan.

North Ayrshire Council Leader Joe Cullinane said that the economic and social case for keeping the Arran ferry terminal in Ardrossan was “overwhelming” .
He said: “A Ministerial Task Force was established earlier this year to identify and work through any issues arising from the introduction of a new 100-metre ferry vessel on the route in 2018 and ensure that the Ardrossan terminal continues to be able to support the lifeline ferry services to Arran.

“Since then, we have been working intensively with our taskforce partners – particularly with site owners Peel Ports - to progress and refine ambitious regeneration plans for investment in the port and the wider area.
“We welcome the fact that Transport Scotland have confirmed that they are still looking, in the first instance, at Ardrossan. We are confident that any issues will be resolved and we are convinced that the economic and social case for keeping the terminal here is overwhelming.
“Ardrossan Harbour offers a wide variety of economic benefits. The ferry port is one of North Ayrshire’s most important strategic assets and is a critical economic driver, not only for Ardrossan but more widely for the sustainable economic regeneration of this whole area.
"Investment in the ferry terminal would be a vital catalyst for the wider regeneration of the surrounding area, including the adjoining North Shore site where several million pounds have already been invested.
“The current terminal has excellent road links to the rest of the UK and superb public transport connections - with its own railway station and frequent bus services.

“Ardrossan also offers the most direct ferry route to Arran, an important consideration in these days of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) where passenger ferry prices are determined by the length of the crossing.”
Councillor Cullinane added: “While we have developed a very strong economic case for retaining the terminal at Ardrossan, we believe the social impact is even more compelling.
“The level of deprivation and unemployment within Ardrossan and surrounding towns is amongst the highest in Scotland, with Ardrossan Harbour ranking as the 17th most deprived data zone in the country in the most recent Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation report.

“This compares to Troon Harbour which ranks as 2,417th out of 6,976 data zones in the SIMD.
"Our studies show that the ferry terminal supports 165 jobs in the area - equivalent to £4.4 million per annum in wages - and that's not counting other income to the area in the form of tourism and resident shopping patterns.
"The loss of the ferry port would be nothing short of cataclysmic for our area.
"We do, however, remain positive that common sense will prevail and that the Arran ferry will continue to run from Ardrossan for many, many more years to come."