Two councillors have quit roles overseeing north-east harbours in fury after repairs to crumbling ports were slashed in the budget.
SNP members Dawn Black and Ross Cassie left the harbour committee group after Aberdeenshire Council’s administration voted to cut back on repair work.
The move was agreed yesterday as councillors set the budget for the year ahead – along with cuts aimed at plugging a £35.45m gap.
The local authority argued the cut to ports was needed due to rising construction costs.
It will save around £136,000 over the next year.
But Ms Black argued that the cut amounted to “negligence” as it risked safety at ageing ports in need of upgrades.
And she is concerned that further damage could lead to businesses losing out.
Cuts to hit Macduff and Stonehaven
Vital maintenance works priced at around £400,000 were due to take place at Macduff Harbour later this year.
However, this budget has now been slashed and not all of the essential repairs will be carried out – leaving the port at serious risk.
Meanwhile, reactive repair work was scheduled for Stonehaven Harbour following the recent storms.
But now there isn’t enough money in the budget for this work.
Why did the councillors leave?
Ms Black and Mr Cassie wrote to committee chairman John Cox after the crucial four-hour meeting to announce their “immediate” resignations.
By leaving, the councillors also give up their roles as duty holders.
Duty holders work under the Port Marine Safety Code on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council by ensuring the harbours are safe to operate.
They told us that, after the cuts, they couldn’t be confident of this.
Ms Black said: “I am no longer willing to accept the responsibility of duty holder in Aberdeenshire Council and the have the potential of litigation as a result of negligence due to these budget cuts.
“Vital infrastructure upgrades, advised as necessary for basic levels of safety by the professional officers in the harbours team, have been ignored.”
Lack of repairs could lead to council ‘negligence’
The Stonehaven councillor slammed the “shortsighted” decision to reduce harbour works and raised concern it would lead to greater costs in the years to come.
She added: “Any failures of harbour infrastructure may or may not result in injury, damage or even loss of business to those vessels stuck in harbours blocked in by such failures – resulting in multi lawsuits from those businesses.”
‘Harbour infrastructure is constantly being pounded’
Fellow SNP councillor Ross Cassie also raised his fears about the funding cut to harbours during yesterday’s meeting, which he branded an “annual salami slicing fest”.
He suggested the cuts and scaling back of work was a “false economy” and highlighted the need for work at Macduff’s “crumbling” port along with Stonehaven.
He added: “With the rapid race through the alphabet of named storms in this season, our already underfunded harbour infrastructure is constantly being pounded.
“It will cost a lot more to rebuild than maintain properly.”
What is the answer to harbour woes?
However, Mr Cox hoped elected members could work together to bring the harbours back to their best.
While he didn’t comment on the resignations, he said the council needed to take a more strategic look at its ports.
He said the region’s harbours would play a “vital and important role” with ongoing renewable energy developments along the coast.
The Banff councillor noted income had been lost due to the traditional fishing ports becoming unsuitable for modern boats.
But he believes tourists could be key to reviving the harbours.
Mr Cox explained: “There is the opportunity to look at other areas in our smaller ports to attract marine tourism.
“That’s anything from boat trips along our fantastic coastline to attracting the yachting fraternity from Scandinavian countries.
“Harbours are gateways into the north-east of Scotland and we need to capitalise on that.”
Mr Cox also confirmed that he is in talks with council officers to look at the proposed repair works.
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