Row over Nigg to Cromarty ferry funding amid concerns Dingwall and Seaforth ward could miss out on earmarked cash
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A bitter row has broken out over supporting the Nigg to Cromarty ferry with cash earmarked for Ross-shire’s county town.
Funding support was cut by £10,000 by the council after questions were raised about why the service was being funded at taxpayers' expense.
In a bid to plug that shortfall and following representations from some members of the public over the cut, chairman of the Highland Council Black Isle, Dingwall and Seaforth committee, Councillor Gordon Adam, sought to identify cash from ward allocations.
This year’s council budget saw the first significant local investment in wards for years - £126,000 to support wellbeing investments, like paths or play parks.
But two leading Dingwall councillors, Alister Mackinnon and Graham Mackenzie, were left out of the discussion about allocating £2500 from the ward to bolster the ferry.
Neither feel that the ferry will benefit the town in any way.
Cllr Adam labelled the furore a “storm in a teacup” and called on fellow councillors not to be “parochial” when it came to investing the cash.
“The area as a whole should benefit and the ferry is a good example of this – especially with the designation of the Cromarty Firth as a green port and the likely economic benefits to the area,” he said. “My view is that this placed-based funding should not be used just for parochial projects.”
Cllr Alister Mackinnon said: “I was furious that I had not even been given the courtesy of being consulted. Decisions on how we as members in our wards spend our money are down to us. I have no issue at all with the ferry, but in my opinion it should be for the communities that are there – the Black Isle and Tain and Easter Ross.
“If they want to contribute then that is entirely up to them but I see no financial benefit of gain whatsoever for Dingwall and Seaforth.”
Cllr Mackenzie agreed: “Can I see a benefit for Alness, Invergordon, Tain and for Cromarty and the wider Black Isle? Absolutely and their councillors are also right to pursue it.Do I see a benefit for Dingwall and Seaforth? Absolutely not. I can’t see why people in Dingwall would agree to allowing money to be passed to another ward.”
Cllr Margaret Paterson, initially supportive, said:“It has not been done in the right way. Two Dingwall councillors were shut out and that is wrong, I was under the impression that they had been told. I will not now support this.”
Fellow Dingwall and Seaforth councillor Angela MacLean said no final decision has been arrived at: “This would still have to then go through the due process of being discussed at ward level then if agreed a further paper to each area committee for decision.”
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