Port operator accused of '˜sacrificing' Clyde shipbuilding

Inchgreen dry dock in Greenock. Picture: geograph.co.uk

A port operator which owns vast swathes of land in Scotland has been accused by campaigners of '˜sacrificing' the River Clyde to protect the Mersey in Liverpool.

It is alleged that Peel Ports, which owns land in Scotland and the North-West, are leaving Scottish shipyard and port infrastructure lie idle to favour their interests around the Mersey.

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The ‘Save the Inchgreen Campaign’, which focuses on a long-standing row over the Inchgreen Dry Dock in Inverclyde, has queried whether the monopoly should be allowed to continue.

Politicians from a cross-party group, including the area’s SNP MP and MSP, have backed a letter sent to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon regarding the campaign’s claims.

It reads: “We believe Inchgreen Dry Dock is being sacrificed to protect The Peel Group’s Investments on Merseyside.

“The Peel Group acquired vast areas of industrial land from Glasgow to Ayrshire when they bought Clydeport in 2002. They are now cashing in on that purchase by building thousands of houses and major retail.”

Glasgow MP Paul Sweeney has championed a return to the Clyde’s shipbuilding glory days, and says that the Inchgreen Dry Dock is among infrastructure being ‘underutilised’.

Peel Group refuted the claims, with a spokesman telling teh Herald: “Peel has a proud track record of investment on the Clyde, including the £200m at Glasgow Harbour and the major redevelopment work at Greenock Ocean Terminal.”