I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you how awful the Scottish ferry fiasco has been – the delays, the over-runs, the over-spends – but what we haven’t spoken about so much is one of the shocking side-effects of the crisis: the impact on Ardrossan, its harbour and its people. So let’s talk about it.

The basic problem is that the folk who live and work in the town have been neglected and forgotten over the crisis. From the start, no one listened to them when they said the new ferries were the wrong choice; no one listened to them when they said they were worried about the effects the ferries could have on the harbour; and it now looks like no one is listening to them when they say they need immediate action to protect the future of the town. Over and over again, this is how public policy fails: no one listens.

The problems for Ardrossan actually go way back to the start of the debacle when decisions were being made about what kind of ferries were needed. What local people said, in Ardrossan and on Arran, is they needed two smaller vessels or catamarans to run back-to-back with each other. Not only would that mean there’d always be a spare should one break down, smaller ferries are also more resilient to bad weather. And most importantly for Ardrossan, smaller boats would also have avoided the need to upgrade and expand the pier to accommodate the much bigger Glen Sannox.

But again: no one listened and the bigger ferries were chosen, meaning a major refit for Ardrossan harbour was necessary. Now this would have been fine (if expensive) had a coherent business plan been formed right at the beginning and the parties involved had cracked on with it. Instead – prepare to be unshocked – the plans have been subject to delay, confusion and a lack of clarity and even now, we still do not know what’s supposed to be happening and when. First, we were told it would be announced last year, then this year, and now God knows when it’ll be.

Part of the problem is that there’s been argy-bargy between the three partners who are funding the upgrade of the harbour: Transport Scotland, Peel Ports, and North Ayrshire Council. As you’ll know from the ferry crisis, Transport Scotland is the government transport agency, and Peel Ports is the company that acquired the harbour when it was privatised in the 90s. We are told all three of the partners are still in talks to try and sort the whole thing out, but to date: nothing.

Now, I imagine some of you will have seen the word “privatised” and thought: ah yes, another thing we can blame the Tories for, and it’s certainly true Peel Ports have been accused of under-investing in the harbour. CalMac’s Arran services have been badly affected this year after safety inspections shut down Ardrossan's Irish berth, and CalMac was pretty clear in blaming under-investment from Peel Ports, saying it had left the harbour in a substandard condition.

However, I also imagine some of you saw the words “Transport Scotland” and thought: ah yes, another major transport project the Scottish Government has messed up and it’s certainly who most of the islanders I speak to would blame. It was Transport Scotland who was responsible for ordering ferries that were too big for the harbour and having done that, it’s Transport Scotland that should have had a plan to expand the harbour and then got it done. It means that for many locals, the crisis with the harbour is basically down to bad management and leadership from the government.

There are some who say the answer to all this is to nationalise the harbour, which is a bit like saying the solution to the problem of Transport Scotland is more Transport Scotland. One local I spoke to was very doubtful: “having seen what they’ve done with the ferries, the last thing I want is them designing a harbour,” he said. Interestingly, he also told me about some of the positive signs of regeneration there’s been in Ardrossan in the last few years: the new vegan café, the new bistro, and the other businesses that are taking over empty units. It’s what people used to call the green shoots of recovery but they need nurturing.

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Sadly, people in the town now fear that exactly the opposite is in danger of happening and that the ongoing delays to the work at the harbour will seriously damage the local economy. They’re also worried that there’s a possibility Ardrossan may end up losing the Arran route altogether, and it will be permanently redirected to Troon. What adds to this worry is that the two new ferries will have to use Troon until the work at Ardrossan is finished and as it is, even if it was announced that the work could start tomorrow, the harbour will still be shut for two years with all ferries sailing from Troon. And that’s the best-case scenario and we are a very long way away from the best-case scenario.

So worried are local people by all of this that some of them have set up a campaign group, Save Ardrossan Harbour, and they’ll be holding their first public meeting early next month. They’re also very clear about how vital the harbour is to their community: local businesses are deeply connected to the sailings, they say, and every cancelled or delayed crossing has a ripple effect on local jobs, services and livelihoods. As far as they’re concerned, Ardrossan harbour is the heartbeat of everyday life, which is why they’re so angry about the continuing uncertainty over its future.

(Image: Ardrossan harbour)

Frances Gilmour of Save Ardrossan Harbour puts it this way: “The harbour has been the lifeblood of our town for centuries and we cannot allow it to fade into irrelevance.” She’s also angry about the lack of clarity and communication from the government. “Respect for our community starts with communication,” she says. “We understand challenges exist, but hiding behind closed doors and delays only creates confusion and distrust. Our town deserves better.”

It certainly does. The upgrade of the harbour to accommodate the new ferries was promised in 2018 by Humza Yousaf when he was transport minister. But no agreement between the partners could be reached and the whole thing was called in for a review by Transport Scotland last summer amid worries over rising costs. An announcement on the future was then expected this summer. We’re still waiting.

The folk at Save Ardrossan Harbour say the longer it goes on, the more the future of the harbour is at risk, so here’s what they need. A clear public commitment from the government on retaining Ardrossan as the mainland port for the Arran ferry. A clear public statement on why there have been delays. And most importantly, a clear action plan that lays out what work will be done and when. In the words of the campaign group: after years of neglect, stalled progress and a lack of clear communication, the time for action is now.