Council Rejects New Jura Vehicle Ferry Proposal

It's always been strange to me that the Isle of Jura didn't have its own (vehicle) ferry. That is if you don't take the Port Askaig - Feolin ferry into account. Almost every island in Scotland has a vehicle ferry and even Gigha, an island with half the population of Jura, has one. The reason can't be the distance since the shortest possible ferry route would only be three miles which is Lagg on Jura to Keilmore, Argyll. I don't understand why Argyll & Bute council spends millions on an airport in Colonsay (population 108), a pier in Bruichladdich (still not functioning properly), even more millions on the Port Askaig project (still problems) and not a penny on a vehicle ferry for Jura. It's true, there is a passenger ferry but only for a trial period of three years and ONLY in a short summer period. From what I read online here and there, the Jura Passenger ferry is a success and brings more visitors to the island, which is economically absolutely necessary for the island.

Now you might think this is the time for the (local) government to think a bit further ahead and make plans for the period thereafter. This however doesn't seem to be the case since the Argyll and Bute council rejected plans from the Islay & Jura Ferry Co. Ltd. Perhaps they are afraid that a possible Jura ferry will be used for people to travel to Islay? Or are other forces at work here? And why does Historic Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage disapprove the current plans, as well? The following article regarding the rejected ferry plans was published in the Ileach: Continue reading....
A proposal for a new short sea ferry crossing between the island of Jura and the Argyll mainland has been formally rejected by Argyll and Bute Council. The Islay & Jura Ferry Co. Ltd had put forward a planning application for new landing slips at Lagg on Jura and Keills on the mainland. This would have allowed the applicants to run several vehicular ferry trips a day on the short sea crossing, which is the traditional ‘drovers route’, known as the Overland Route. The island of Jura is one of the few islands denied a direct vehicular ferry to the mainland. The application was put forward in 2003 but was fraught with constant disputes between Argyll & Bute Council, Scottish Natural Heritage, Historic Scotland and the Islay & Jura Ferry Co. Ltd. Both statutory consultees claimed that the supporting Environmental Statements were deficient even although the ferry company had pointed out that they had made several addendums to the original proposals in an attempt to satisfy both Historic Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage. Argyll and Bute Council did not allow the application to go to a public Committee meeting; it was instead reviewed by local councillors, without consideration of the benefits to the island. Apparently none of the three councillors responsible for Islay and Jura supported the application. The proposal was rejected on the basis it did not satisfy the requirements of Historic Scotland and SNH.

The council also commented that the applicants had not given due consideration to the effects a vehicle ferry proposal would have on the Tayvallich-Craighouse passenger ferry. The chairperson of the Islay & Jura Ferry Co. said, 'This project was actually being funded by the people of Jura & Islay. A considerable amount of the islands’ entrepreneurial funds have now been wasted on trying to appease Argyll & Bute Council and the Scottish Government. When you look at their comments about the new passenger service, it becomes clearer that they never had any intentions of allowing this project to progress. It would appear that the only option open to us now is to seek a Judicial Review of Argyll & Bute Council and the statutory consultees handling of this application.' Also available is a statement made by the Islay & Jura Ferry Co in December 2007 and a PDF document on the Scottish Government website with a written response from the Islay and Jura Ferry Company Ltd.

The picture in this artcile is merely here as an example and is in fact the sheltered bay at Tarbert and not Lagg, where the proposed landing slip for the ferry is planned.