CORRAN NARROWS SOCIO-ECONOMIC STUDY

ageing MV Maid of Glencoul, but also by vehicle capacity issues support you could provide in further advertising or prompting Purpose of this Study which can lead to traffic queuing issues on either side of the Corran residents of your community council area to complete a form. Narrows. There exists, therefore, an urgent requirement in the short/ Stantec has been commissioned by The Highland Council (THC) medium-term to make the case for investment in the replacement Further to this, we would be grateful if your community council and the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) to of the vessels and infrastructure to ensure the sustainability of the could formally respond to this study, providing a collective analyse the economic, social and community benefits provided service, until such time as a longer-term fixed link solution can community view on the questions presented in the survey. by the Corran Ferry service. The purpose of this research is to feed potentially be realised. into the business case being developed by THC for new vessels and We would, therefore, like to offer you a four-week period to terminal infrastructure. consider the questions in this form (we can be flexible and work How are we approaching the Study? around community council meeting dates). Ahead of submitting The study is intended to highlight the importance of the ferry to your response, we would be happy to discuss any questions, the communities of Fort William, Ardgour, Sunart, Ardnamurchan, Our approach to the study is two pronged: concerns or points of interest with you over the phone or using MS Moidart, Morar, Morvern, the Isle of Mull and beyond, in part Teams / Skype / Zoom etc. through testing the implications of hypothetical scenario where the • Firstly, we are developing baseline analysing key demographic, service discontinued. economic and transport data, to develop the socio-economic It is important to note that the purpose of this exercise is to profiles of the communities that the Corran Ferry serves. understand how the ferry is used and the benefits which it offers. We will collate, analyse and evidence the data to further support As such, there is less of a focus on the operational details of the the internal THC and external case for investment, ensuring a high • Secondly, and most importantly, we are engaging with service, such as individual fares, operating hours etc and a much quality and financially sustainable service across the Narrows is stakeholders and communities to understand their use of larger focus on the use of the ferry service, including journey maintained. the ferry service and the benefits which this brings. We have purpose and frequency. More detailed consultation on the separated the engagement process into two elements: (i) a operational aspects of the ferry service will be carried out as part Why are we focussing on the Ferry Resident and Visitor Survey; and (ii) a Key Stakeholder Survey. of the detailed design stage of the Ferry Service Outline Business Case, and as such does not form part of the scope of this study. Service? The Resident and Visitor Survey is comprised of three sections, each with a focus of gathering which will assist in demonstrating how the ferry supports the functioning of the communities which it serves. In 2019, a High-level Outline Feasibility Study of a Fixed Link across the Corran Narrows was completed and submitted to Transport In receiving this note, you have been identified as a key Scotland for further consideration within the Strategic Transport stakeholder, and as such are in receipt of a link below to the ‘Key Community Council Projects Review 2 (STPR2) process. This process is ongoing but, even Stakeholder Survey’. if a fixed link is prioritised through this process, its realisation ‘on the Resident Survey ground’ remains a long-term proposition. The Survey In the short/medium-term, however, there is an urgent need to invest in the ferry service to protect and develop the ‘lifeline’ link The resident survey has been designed to capture the views of across the Narrows. This is driven in part by the need to replace the as many individuals as possible, and we would appreciate any