Clydeport: the Loch Striven campaign goes on
published this on 12:20 pm, Saturday, 2nd January, 2010Business| Cowal| Loch Striven Ship Dump| Politics| hallowe'en | Comments (rss) | Respond | Ping |
And For Argyll has started the year as it means to go on. The For Argyll Awards 2009 introduced two new special awards: the ‘For Argyll’ Award and the ‘Not For Argyll’ Award, given by us, respectively, for a signal contribution to Argyll and for an equally resounding act of disservice.
The ‘Not For Argyll’ Award was this year awarded jointly, with one ‘winner’ being Clydeport – whose treatment of the Loch Striven community has been below the salt and whose attitude to its responsibilities has resembled more the thug than the cavalier. See the story and read the citations.
The resolve of the local community and that of For Argyll, remains steadfast in finding ways to bring Clydeport to account, to underline the imperative today for major companies to behave with corporate social responsibility and to enable Clydeport to understand that the laws of physics demonstrate that actions have consequences.
Maersk, the shipping line that owns the six ships laid up in Loch Striven, has shown its own social responsibility in working steadily to lower the noise and harmonics associated with the presence of the raft on the threshold of the small community. It also invited the communities of Loch Striven and Rothesay to a meeting and reception on the ships.
The members of the local community have shown throughout what Ernest Hemingway described as ‘grace under pressure’. They have been unwavering in their resistance to being seen as of no account in the matter and to being solidly ignored by the brutish Clydeport. They have exchanged open, honest and thoughtful comments on this site with shipping professionals and with people who work on the Clyde. Some of these were sympathetic, some accused them of being Nimbys (Not In My Back Yard), selfishly fighting to protect their own interests above those of others.
This is untrue. The community members understand Maersk’s predicament. They are not opposed to the ships per se.
They are absolutely opposed to the location of the raft which is, as our photographs have shown, right in their windows and in their hearing when there are another 4 or 5 appropriate anchorages in Loch Striven for the raft that Clydeport could have chosen.
It ordered Maersk to raft up outside the few houses of this quiet community. It appeared to do so because this location would take the ships out of view of the main commercial interests of the Glenstriven Estate, hoping to placate the London-based absentee landlord, Peter Blacker, the only ‘member of the community’ to be consulted.
The community is also adamant in asserting its right to be consulted in the matter and on the location of ships sent into Loch Striven on cold layup. The word ‘stakeholder’ is used endlessly (and tediously) in corporate and public sector circles nowadays. If ever there was a ‘stakeholder’ in this situation, it is the people whose every minute is dominated by the presence of these ships.
The ships have their fascination for us and others. They are exotic even – but they are alien in this quiet rural loch. The maintenance crew on the ships, frustrated by not feeling their chariots move beneath them, have little variation in how they spend their rest and recreation time. There are no cafes or hostelries or food shops in the little Loch Striven township that is practically part of their raft. They go across to Rothesay, opposite the entrance to Loch Striven, on the Isle of Bute.
Maersk and the community share a sympathy for each other’s condition. For Argyll respects both. Clydeport is another matter. That case is being pursued.
Photographs: The photographs above are by copyright holder Rebecca Martin and may not be reproduced without permission.
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