Council Leader welcomes 11th hour reprieve for tugs

The Highland Council Leader Councillor Michael Foxley has joined in the welcome of the 11th hour decision by the UK Government to offer a three-month reprieve for the two emergency towing vessels based at Stornoway and Shetland while work continues on finalising a new longer-term contract.

The tugs, owned by a private company, JP Knight and on contract to the Maritime Coastguard Service, were due to have been withdrawn from service on Friday 30 September.

Councillor Foxley is also chairman of the ETV Working Group which has persistently argued for a retention of the tugs to protect the hazardous waters around the north and west Highland coastline.

He said: “The four Highlands and Islands local authorities have worked incredibly hard and as a real team to get this result, which came within 6 hours of the contract ending.

“We had proved the tugs are essential, with a new independent risk assessment. We had outlined how to fund the tugs within UK Government departments. We had offered proposals for a fit-for-purpose contract, which would include protecting the Royal Navy, fighting fires at sea and research work.

“I would want to thank Alistair Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland, and Highland MPs Danny Alexander and John Thurso for their work behind the scenes.

“With six hours to go, this is a very successful end to a long and hard campaign. We now have the three month extension; to put in place a new contract with monies to found from within UK Government departments as our team proposed.

“This will ensure the protection from environmental, human and economic disaster that our coastal communities deserve."