Following a visit to Montrose Harbour with  local MSP Alison McInnes, the Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Climate Change and Angus councillor David May, Angus and Mearns Liberal Democrats have backed calls to protect a fund that could benefit the Port at Montrose.

The £60 million development fund had been allocated by the UK Government to support redevelopment of British ports to service new offshore windfarms. Montrose had hoped to benefit from some of the money, but now faces missing out if the funding is cut in the upcoming spending review.

I visited Montrose harbour area last week  with Alison and it is clear that this fund could make a big difference to the port. The off-shore wind farm market is very competitive and there is a need to develop the infrastructure so that Montrose can establish itself on the international market.

There is clearly the potential to create hundreds of green jobs which would be a huge boost to the economy of Angus. I hope the Liberal Democrats in government are able to find a way to salvage this fund from the financial mess left behind by Labour.

Montrose councillor David May, convener of Infrastructure Services, added his support to the call as he has been directly involved in visiting the port on several occasions and is well aware of the potential for jobs.  He said:

“It is obvious to me that this funding will make a difference to what Montrose port will be able to do.  It has been a huge success in recent years and we are all aware of the possibility of wind-industry work in our port which could lead to hundreds of new jobs in Angus, and this could directly benefit towns such as Brechin, Arbroath and Forfar as well Montrose so the retention of this fund is vital.

On Wednesday, I visited Montrose Harbour with Terry Wood of the Harbour Board and Montrose Liberal Democrat Cllr David May. We toured the properties surrounding the northern part of the harbour, many of which house derelict, empty buildings. These are a sad reminder of businesses lost to the area. However, they provide a real opportunity to improve the harbour’s infrastructure and provide space to expand for future development.

The future development plans for Montrose Harbour are excellent, and I will be supporting them in any way I can. Angus Council is conducting a study on how to best improve the infrastructure around the harbour, to improve access and attract more business. Again this is an excellent approach, supported by the Harbour Board.

I also talked Jim Raeper, Technical Manager, about opportunities for Montrose to win exclusive contracts to survey, service and possibly construct offshore wind farms. Three wind farm developers have already approached Montrose, which is Angus’ only commercial port, to discuss opportunities. Developing the harbour infrastructure seems to be an obvious plan to secure jobs and business for the whole of Angus.

Offshore wind power will be central to Scotland’s future energy supply and it is crucial that Angus does not miss out. Embracing and supporting green energy production will put Angus at the heart of Scotland’s sustainable future.

Montrose Harbour already supports over 500 jobs around the county and winning new business could generate hundreds more. Improving the infrastructure will attract more business for Montrose Harbour and provide access to a first class port for all Angus businesses. This will be an investment to create jobs throughout Angus, and I am sure that everyone in Angus would want to support the Harbour’s development plans and the Council’s infrastructure study.

To that end, I would call on the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and the Westminster Parliament to pay close attention to the outcome of the Council’s study and act quickly to secure a positive future for Montrose and the whole of Angus.