Islanders on Colonsay are angered by what they see as the failure of the new air service from Oban to the island to deliver cheap flights to enable children studying in Oban to get back home to their families at weekends. Councillor Robin Currie, who represents the island, is quoted as saying that children on the island are getting no better service than is available from the CalMac ferry. He is concerned that islanders may have been misled on what could be delivered, in order to gain support for the new air service. Islanders expected that there would be £1 flights for students between Oban and Colonsay every Friday evening and from Colonsay to Oban every Monday morning. They are now offered flights once a month and in daylight hours on Saturday and Sunday, limiting the time available for families to be together. Issues identified include:
- the aircraft on the run is an eight seater, excusing the pilot, so their can be more students than seats
- Oban Airport is not licensed for night flying so services us operate in and out of there in daylight hours
For Argyll has formally put the following questions to Highland Airways, the operator of the service:
- What exactly – and on what terms – is now offered to Colonsay students studying in Oban?
- Is there a difference between what you were asked and had agreed to deliver and what you’re now offering?
- Is there a difference between what was promised to islanders and what is now offered?
- Was Highland Airways a part of any promises being made that cannot now be fulfilled? (‘Being part of making promises’ includes knowing that promises were being made by others and keeping silent during that process.)
We have also formally put the folowing questions to Stewart Turner, Head of Argyll and Bute Council’s Transport and Amenity Services and to Councillor Duncan MacIntyre, the Council’s spokesman on transport.
- What exactly – and on what terms – is now offered to Colonsay students studying in Oban?
- Is there a difference between what was promised to islanders and what is now offered?
- What service development is possible and achievable to meet the needs and concerns of students and their island families?
We have asked for their comments and for any additional information they know is a valuable part of the debate. It is in no one’s interests to make this a ‘hanging’ matter. What is important is to work to deliver to fragile island communities the services that will ensure their sustainability. The Oban Times reports that Argyll and Bute Council was asked to respond to Councillor’s Curie’s remarks and did not do so. There is a serious democratic deficit when elected representatives and those who serve both them and us retire from due engagement with those whose interests they exist to serve. We hope to hear from both parties in due course.
A comment has since been added below to this news piece – from an authoritative voice on Colonsay. It adds significant insights to the position and needs of this island community in the current situation.
The new air-service is to be officially launched at Oban, today (14 August) and Colonsay island residents are represented at the launch by Andrew MacGregor, Secretary of both Colonsay Community Council and Colonsay Development Company. Mr MacGregor is aware of the situation and will be seeking clarification; it has been pointed out that children from Coll and Tiree can get home at weekends by normal scheduled ferries in the winter season, and that Colonsay children cannot. The opposite situation obtains in the summer season. Since there are only 7 Colonsay children, one flight will suffice to carry them all, which is fortunate because hours of daylight create restrictions. Although Coll and Tiree children will require three flights to accommodate their numbers, the longer hours of daylight could accommodate additional flights if funding can be secured to meet the need. A compromise solution therefore seems possible.
There has never been any demand for night-flights carrying children into or out of Colonsay; facilities do exist to permit night flights in extreme emergency, but these days such operations would normally be conducted by helicoper. As regards normal flights for scholars, one must remember that an entire generation of islanders will be travelling together – for obvious reasons, islanders only requested a service which would be licensed by CAA and conducted to the highest standards by a reputable operator.
To that extent, our wishes have been met but there is understandable frustration as regards the scholars-flights. Those flights were fundamental to the whole project, since some families had been leaving the island because their children could not get home at weekends – Colonsay, with a population of 119, could not sustain such attrition.
The schoolchildren return to their classes next week and the families have not been given any worthwhile information as to exactly how the flights will be conducted. Where children will be leaving home for the first time, clear information is absolutely essential in order to equip them for a major challenge in their young lives. Thus, whilst “anger” may be an over-statement, there is undoubted confusion and annoyance. The air-service is working well for normal purposes but the lack of coherent consultation and information regarding the scholar flights affects the credibility of the project.
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P.S. Late news – the official launch at Oban went well and Mr. MacGregor has established / ensured that the matter of scholars’ flights is under discussion, but he was unable to obtain any additional information that could be of immediate help to parents or children. It seems that “the pressure is off” until the end of the summer sailings – which may be fine for Colonsay, but not for Coll. It also leaves all parents and children in a state of uncertainty – as if vague information about impending building works at the Oban hostel was not enough.
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