MUNICIPAL Buildings bosses insist the redevelopment of Inchgreen Dry Dock is still on track despite plans for a £10m renewable energy hub being dead in the water.

Inverclyde Council says it is confident that it will still be able to take advantage of UK and Scottish government City Deal cash to breathe new life into the historic maritime site.

The Tele recently revealed how the original proposal for it has been abandoned after being deemed no longer viable.
Alternative ideas are now being looked at, although officials remain tight-lipped about the nature of them.

The site is owned by private firm Peel Ports.

A council spokesman said: “It is disappointing that the original ambitious renewables hub proposal at Inchgreen has suffered from changes to the market.

“We are committed to ensuring that Inverclyde continues to benefit from the City Deal and that a project will be able to be delivered.

“With a completion date of 2022, Inchgreen was always a longer term project among the £1bn investment across the west of Scotland through the City Deal.

“Any alterations to that or any other project requires council and City Deal cabinet approval before anything is agreed.

“We are also continuing to develop the plans for a new Ocean Terminal berthing and visitor facility and to develop road infrastructure at Inverkip to unlock development opportunities at the former power station site.

“Inverclyde’s City Deal projects are unique in that they have been built on commercial partnerships to lever in additional private sector funding for our area and the west of Scotland.”

The Telegraph contacted Peel Ports representatives for a comment but received no response.

Details of the change of plan emerged in a letter from council chiefs to the Campaign to Save Inchgreen group secretary, Robert Buirds.

The former shipyard worker, from Port Glasgow, had submitted a freedom of information request asking officials to release the blueprint for the site.

He received a 36-page document and 33 pages of it were blanked out, with officials citing commercial confidentiality.

Officers say the green energy hub plan was drawn up five years ago when the Scottish renewables market was ‘buoyant’ and a ‘viable option’ but that is no longer the case.

Mr Buirds believes the area has lost out to Hunterston in Ayrshire, also owned by Peel, which is earmarked for a similar development.

A council spokesman said: “Mr Buirds may be disappointed in the lack of information at the specific stage he is looking for it on Inchgreen.

“But the release of a draft report which has not been seen by councillors and which has not received city deal cabinet approval or sign off could give an entirely misleading picture of where the council and its commercial partners are at.”