This is one of the findings in consultant DTZ’s report into the outline business cases put forward by five of Argyll and Bute’s towns for a share of a £10 million pot of capital set aside by Argyll and Bute Council.

Oban, Campbeltown, Rothesay, Dunoon and Helensburgh are all vying for funding. According to DTZ, money spent in Oban would bring the greatest benefits financially.

Oban wants money for a development road, a transport node at the Railway Pier, infrastructure improvements around Dunbeg and developing the South Pier and a yacht marina in Oban Bay.

But RPS, consultants employed to ‘score’ the business cases, chose to ignore DTZ’s findings and go with the analysis of Cogent Smiths Gore, which suggested that Rothesay and then Campbeltown were the best value, with Oban third.

This was based on a statistical formula to work out which business plan would produce the best result from the amount of money needed for it.

All the projects were considered to be more or less equal in meeting area, regional and national policies but when risk and ease of delivery were added Oban lost out because it was not at a stage where the money could immediately be spent on building the development road.

The full council meets today (Thursday) in Dunoon to decide where the money should be spent and all the indications are that no councillor will be willing to back a project other than in their area.

The Oban-based councillors that The Oban Times managed to speak to have all said they will be fighting Oban’s corner and have a number of questions to ask about the RPS conclusions.

Councillor Donald MacDonald said: ‘I think we have all had reservations about the report but having employed the consultant we have to take some of their advice.

‘The development road will not be able to take place for two or three years but as long as we get something in the pipeline, we will be happy with that.

‘The marina should be more or less self-funding and we have made a commitment to the fishermen to enhance their facilities, so we would be looking for something for that.’

Councillor Roddy McCuish said: ‘Rest assured that the Oban councillors will be fighting the corner for Oban.’

He had reservations about the scoring methods as did Councillor Neil MacKay who said Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee chairman Councillor Duncan MacIntyre would be asking questions on their behalf.

‘The outline business case for Oban was well made but we need to ask questions about the scoring mechanism,’ said Councillor MacKay. ‘We need to ask what criteria were used.’

Councillor Donald McIntosh said ‘as always’ he would be speaking out for Oban.

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