CalMac ferry delayed for another six months as costs soar by £35m
The Glen Rosa remains outstanding as the total cost of both it, and the Glen Sannox, approaches £400m – more than four times the initial £97m figure.
It had been expected to be delivered in September, but the nationalised shipyard announced on Tuesday that it won't be ready until at least April 2026.
The total estimated cost has also increased by £35m – including a £12.5m contingency – to £185m.
It comes after reports that parts of the ferry were removed for use on the Glen Sannox.
Appearing before a Scottish Parliament committee in February, then-interim chief executive of Ferguson Marine John Petticrew said the yard was doing 'a bottoms up on the Glen Rosa, including all the lessons learned that we got at the tail end of the Glen Sannox'.
The delay comes in the first weeks for new CEO Graeme Thomson.
'This is not the announcement we wanted to be making at this stage and cannot overstate our understanding of the importance of providing realistic handover schedules to support CalMac to provide a more reliable and robust service to the communities it serves,' he said.
'No one wants to see the swift delivery of MV Glen Rosa more than Ferguson Marine and we are committed to working hard to ensure the vessel is delivered within this window.
'We apologise unreservedly to islanders for this additional delay and want to assure everyone that we are working extremely hard to deliver a quality vessel that showcases the skill and experience of Clydebuilt ships. Once delivered, MV Glen Rosa will be transformative for our island communities.'
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
a minute ago
- Glasgow Times
Decision has been made on Glasgow taxi fares - this is what we know
The city's licensing committee proposed a 3.32% increase to the city's taxi fare scale, following an independent review. A public notice period, which allowed representations on the proposal, ran until July 25. One representation was received. At a meeting today (Wednesday), councillors decided to continue with the increase. It can be appealed to the traffic commissioner for the Scottish traffic area. The changes will see the minimum charge flag fall rise from £4.40 to £4.50 and the soiling charge lifted from £46 to £47.50. The review of the taxi fare scales was carried out by Dr James Cooper. Changes were recommended after he concluded the 'costs of operating a tax in Glasgow, the production costs, have increased'. READ NEXT: This is how many times Glasgow was turned into a film set - and how much was made READ NEXT: Money made by female boss of Glasgow brothel revealed in court Following the committee's decision, the flag fall distance and time will change from 889 yards to 880 yards and 167 seconds to 165 seconds. Each additional increment will change from a distance not exceeding 179 yards to a distance not exceeding 174 yards and the time will change from 38 seconds to 37 seconds. However, the distance and time charge will remain at an increment of 30p. The additional charge for hires after 9pm and before 6am is also remaining at £1.50 and the extra charge for hires between 9pm on December 24 and 6am on December 27 and 9pm on December 31 and 6am on January 3 is to stay at £2.70. Some trade representatives had disagreed with the review's findings that insurance costs have decreased, saying drivers are reporting rises. They also pushed for a more detailed 'bottom-up' review to be carried out. The one representation received during the public notice period was from Allan Nugent, of the Glasgow Taxi Owners Federation. He wants the committee to reinstate extra charges for additional passengers, beyond two, and believes they were removed without research or appropriate consultation with the trade. He also said insurance costs had increased, not decreased. Dr Cooper said he did not oppose a discussion around extra charges but it should be considered during a 'bottom-up review' which 'would allow for the opportunity for sufficient review and assessment of its impact on the income of the driver and operator'. Cllr Alex Wilson, SNP, the licensing committee chairman, previously said a 'bottom-up review would be a great thing for us going forward' as there are 'more changes to the dynamics of what is happening out there'. Dr Cooper's report had noted that 'insurance costs have declined over the period of review' but this 'follows a significant increase in the previous period'. A representative from Unite, in a submission to the committee, previously stated members had been surveyed and 'not one has reported a reduction' in insurance costs, with an average increase of around 8% instead. If an appeal against the changes to the taxi fares scale is lodged, the committee's decision would be suspended until the appeal is dismissed, determined or abandoned.
Daily Record
32 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Inside Barry Ferguson's Rangers summer transfer plan that never was as key lieutenant reveals signing strategy
Billy Dodds has revealed what the interim management team planned to do in the summer market had they been handed the job permanently. It's a key element which has charged their rivals' Premiership dominance across the city in recent years. And Billy Dodds has revealed adding a Scottish core to Rangers ' spine this summer was number one on the previous regime's transfer checklist should they have been handed the job of trying to reel in Celtic permanently. Just one of Russell Martin 's nine summer signings is home grown - Lyall Cameron whose arrival was teed up as far back as when Philippe Clement was in charge. But Barry Ferguson and his interim team spent time preparing for the transfer window in their short spell caretaking the hotseat. And they believed adding Scots to the mix could help bridge the gap with the Hoops. Dodds was central to that forward thinking and, while the list of their targets will never be made public, the former first team coach was fully behind the plan to shop local. Brendan Rodgers has often highlighted Celtic' s tartan nucleus and their domestic know-how and leadership qualities, as the driving force behind lifting every title available to him over two spells in charge. Even with the departure of Greg Taylor this summer, the Scots squad at Parkhead remains in tact with Kiran Tierney's return to bolster the ranks led by skipper Callum McGregor and backed up with Antony Ralston, Luke McCowan and James Forrest. But at Rangers, outside John Souttar and Connor Barron, only a late flurry of appearances in goal from Liam Kelly added to the local accent last season. Former Dundee midfielder Cameron has burst into the team over the past week with devastating effect in the centre of midfield. And that, according to Dodds, is an example of why shopping on your doorstep should never be overlooked. He said: 'If we had remained in the job, we were looking to have a wee bit more of a Scottish element to the team. Not too much, but definitely two or three more players. 'Because domestically you must realise and it is the old adage, the domestic games are your bread and butter. 'So, we were certainly thinking two or three more Scottish players in the team plus a scattering of others around the place. 'It never happened, but we thought that domestically it would maybe be the thing that could bridge the gap between us and Celtic. 'It must be the right Scottish ones, with that mindset I was talking about. I think the scattering is the right word. 'Not wholesale, but certainly that little influx of Scottish I think helps teams get where they would like to go, but they have got to be right as well. 'That's why people like Lyall Cameron and Connor Barron are important.' Cameron was thrust in for his first competitive start in Tuesday's 3-0 demolition of Viktoria Plzen at Ibrox. The 22-year-old had huge boots to fill after replacing Nico Raskin in the side. But he responded with a dominant display beside Joe Rothwell and Mohamed Diomande and was singled out for praise by Martin afterwards for his tireless efforts. His signing went under the radar with punters in comparison to the multi-million pound arrivals of Oliver Antman, Djeidi Gassama and Thelo Aasgaard. But Dodds said: 'I think that will suit wee Lyall because when you go to a big club and you get the big announcement it brings a wee bit of pressure. 'He slipped under the radar when he got in the team, but I thought he was excellent. 'Technically he is a bit like Connor Barron. In terms of getting about the pitch and covering ground Connor Barron was unbelievable. Some of the stats we got off him when we were in there was frightening. 'Cameron's a different type of player because he is more technical, but in terms of the industry and getting about the pitch, I thought the two of them were excellent. 'There's some competition in there, but Lyall handled it well. He looked unfazed. 'Sometimes young lads, even older people who go to Rangers, they can never handle the size of the club, but he just looks as if, 'I will take it in my stride, I will get there, I will just perform because I know I am technically good, I am good with the ball, I bring that energy'. 'He looked as if he really enjoyed it.' * Billy Dodds was promoting the Premier Sports' live and exclusive coverage of Rangers v Dundee on Saturday from 12pm on Premier Sports 1. Fans can watch an entire season of football for only £99 using promo code PSCUP25.
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Is a gambling tax the answer to scrap two-child benefit cap?
'I grew up in a town more than fifty years ago where I saw poverty first-hand. It was a mining town, it was a linoleum town but jobs were being lost and poverty was there. I never thought I would see that kind of poverty again but I am seeing it again.' The former chancellor pointed to Delaware, where online gambling taxes are far higher than in Britain. 'It would cost three billion to take half a million children out of poverty by scrapping the two-child benefit cap, which would be the quickest way and the most cost-effective way of getting children out of poverty…Three billion could be raised by fair taxation of the gambling industry. 'By taxing the gambling industry, this would be the first step in raising money without breaking the fiscal rules or any manifesto commitment.' According to reports, the reforms currently being considered by the Chancellor would not impact physical bookies or any bets made in-person except promotional 'free' bets. Some prominent voices have been more sceptical, however. The former SNP MP for Inverclyde, Ronnie Cowan, has long campaigned on the dangers of gambling. He took to social media to criticise the ex-PM: 'Brown and Blair turned the gambling industry into the Wild West by allowing it to self govern. 'Brown wanted super casinos. He doesn't understand the damage that can be caused by gambling and using them as a cash cow for any government is immoral…Bigger profits [equal] more damage.' In an open letter, The Herald wrote the cap "punishes children for circumstances entirely beyond their control and entrenches hardship across generations". It adds: "We believe the removal of the two-child limit would be one of the single most effective measures your government could take to reduce child poverty swiftly and significantly." The campaign also urged First Minister John Swinney to increase the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week, per child. The Scottish Government does not currently hold powers to raise taxes on gambling. However, speaking to the BBC on Thursday about Gordon Brown's proposal, First Minister John Swinney said: 'I think there's merit in that idea because as we all know gambling can lead to significant negative effects in our society which can exacerbate poverty. (Image: PA Media) 'So therefore there is a reasonable and legitimate argument to raise revenue from such an approach as long as it's reinvested properly.' Researchers believe the abolition of the two-child cap is one of the clearest paths to reducing child poverty. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said: 'There is consensus across the policy community that investment in removing the two-child limit is the most cost-effective way to reduce the headline rate of poverty.' The institute is also backing the proposal to raise taxes on gambling, arguing for 'targeted tax rises on profitable parts of the gambling industry – especially online casinos, slot machines, and high-stakes betting – where harms are concentrated and revenues have soared.' However, the Tax Policy Associates think tank recently released a report claiming that: 'The IPPR's calculation is 'static' – it simply multiplies current gambling profits by the new rates. The IPPR justifies this with illustrative calculations showing gambling companies worsening their odds to maintain their profits. 'If the IPPR are wrong, and the tax can't be passed on, then the revenues raised would be much less than £3bn – potentially half.' If the two-child cap were to be scrapped, it would also certainly save the Scottish Government money. The Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts that mitigating the cap is set to cost the Scottish Government £11 million in 2025/6 and up to £155 million in 2026/7. If Westminster scrapped the cap, this would free up money for the Scottish Government, who are currently facing a £5 billion black hole in their finances.
