THE Greenock Telegraph is today launching an investigation into why Inchgreen Dry Dock - the biggest facility of its kind in Scotland - has lain dormant for almost all of its 20 years of ownership by Clydeport.

What has been described by campaigners as the 'jewel' in Inverclyde's marine industrial crown has not been put to continued use for 18 of those years since the huge private operator and port authority took control in 2003.

An attempt by a fledgling company to turn Inchgreen into a ship scrappage hub - which was hailed by local politicians - failed miserably.

Thereafter, an Inverclyde Task Force, jointly chaired by MSP Stuart McMillan and council leader Stephen McCabe, did not include the dry dock in a controversial £70m wishlist of projects for funding from the Scottish Government.

Greenock Telegraph:

The Telegraph will leave no stone unturned in a quest for answers after a petition by the Campaign to Save Inchgreen Dry Dock, calling for the facility to be brought into public ownership, was recently welcomed by a Holyrood committee.

Today we focus on Mr McMillan and Mr McCabe - who have both declined to sign the petition - despite 'sharing frustration' over the lack of activity at the dry dock and describing the campaign as 'well intentioned'.

SNP man Mr McMillan says the problems can be traced back to the days of Margaret Thatcher, under whose government Clydeport was sold off and is now owned by Peel Ports, which had major interests on Merseyside.

He said: "That changed our economy and Inverclyde is still trying to fully recover 30 years after the decimation of the shipbuilding industry and heavy engineering.

"I do share the frustration with regards to Peel Ports and the emphasis that they place upon Merseyside in contrast to Greenock and the Inverclyde area.

Greenock Telegraph:

"The sad fact is that at the moment Peel Ports own the dry dock, they've owned it for quite some time, and the decisions of politicians of the past in allowing Peel to get access to and own the dry dock - politicians of the past have a lot to answer for in terms of the situation we find ourselves in now."

However, Mr McMillan has stopped short of supporting the Inchgreen campaign, saying that the establishment of a port trust with an independent board controlling the shots would be the best way forward.

He told the Telegraph: "It [the dry dock] has been under-utilised for decades, nobody can disagree with that.

"The issue that we have is that there is nobody really knocking on the door to take it on permanently."

Mr McMillan added: "If it were a harbour trust, you would then have a local organisation focused on promotion, marketing, engagement, they have a stake and ownership.

"That's a stronger and more consistent offer to get people to come in compared to what we have."

Responding to criticism of the omission of the dry dock from the Inverclyde Taskforce plans, he said: "We were representing and asking for what people had asked for.

"The dry dock came up but not a great deal, other aspects were more prominent, to say the least."

Mr McCabe dismissed the petition calling for Inchgreen to be in public ownership as 'pie in the sky'.

The council leader added: "I'm not dealing with a petition that's got no chance of success whatsoever.

"What I'm focussed on is working with one of the major companies in Inverclyde [Clydeport/Peel Ports] to try and encourage them, jointly through our joint venture with them and indirectly in respect of the dry dock, to make the best use of their assets to bring more jobs to the area."

Councillor McCabe described the Inchgreen campaign as 'well-meaning' and 'well-intentioned', adding: "I understand their intentions and frustrations, but there is simply no way on this earth that they are going to convince the Scottish Government to nationalise Clydeport.

"It's fantasy, absolute fantasy. I deal in real politics and real life and that's what we're focussed on.

"We're trying to work with Peel Ports to achieve more economic activity and more jobs for Inverclyde, not pursuing a political campaign that's not going to go anywhere."

Mr McCabe added: "The Inchgreen Dry Dock is owned by Peel Ports, it is their responsibility as a company to make the best use of their commercial asset.

"We clearly would like them to make best use of that asset and we are continuing to encourage them to make best use of that asset.

"We're continuing to ask them what other plans they have now that the Atlas [ship scrappage] deal has come to an end and they tell us that they're actively looking to bring work to that dry dock.

"They've had interest from various parties that I'm not at liberty to disclose but I'm assured that they are working actively to bring work to that dry dock."