IT’S full steam ahead for a new replica of the famous Port Glasgow-built Comet paddle-steamer after a specialist contractor was brought in to lead the development.
Latest PS Comet replica
Inverclyde Council has appointed Sheffield-based Aivaf Ltd to carry out the project following a competitive tendering process.
The announcement comes in what is the 250th anniversary year of Port Glasgow.
The council has been working alongside the Port Glasgow Town Centre Regeneration Forum (PGTCR) to develop plans to honour Sir Henry Bell’s famous Port-built paddle steamer which became the first commercially successful passenger steamboat in Europe.
The latest Comet replica in the town centre was built in the 1960s but was dismantled in 2023 after it was deemed beyond repair by experts in a report commissioned by the local authority.
Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “The previous Comet replica was over 60 years old and had sadly suffered from years of exposure to the elements so that was one of the many considerations made by the Comet sub-group of the Port Glasgow Town Centre Regeneration Forum when considering options for a replacement commemoration.
“After extensive discussions and having explored a number of options, it was decided that building a replacement replica is the most appropriate way to celebrate and remember the significance of PS Comet to Port Glasgow and Inverclyde.
“I’m pleased to welcome on board Aivaf Ltd – a respected company with experience in engineering specialist exhibitions and visitor attractions – to take forward this important heritage project.”
A budget of £540,000 was set aside by the council to develop a suitable commemoration to honour the famous steamboat.
A sub-group of the PGTCR, which is made up of representatives from the community, council and partners, was set up to explore the best way to do this and it was decided that a replacement replica was the best option.
Now Aivaf has been awarded a contract to the value of £340k to create a new Comet replica.
The remainder of the budget will cover other costs associated with the project, including signage and removal of the previous replica.
Councillor Chris Curley, chair of the Port Glasgow Town Centre Regeneration Forum, said: “This is a significant milestone in delivering a replacement Comet replica to remember and honour the legacy of PS Comet, which is still to this day a symbol of pride for the people of Port Glasgow and wider Inverclyde.
“A huge amount of time and effort has gone into getting us to this stage and we have had constructive conversations through the town centre regeneration forum and the Comet sub-group that has provided valuable feedback, particularly from community representatives, to help us come up with the best way to commemorate the Comet.
“As part of the remembering the Comet, going forward we will be looking at ways to tell the story of the Comet through signage and displays to complement the full scale replacement.
“I look forward to working with the team at Aivaf to deliver a new Comet replica and seeing it take pride of place once more in the heart of Port Glasgow Town Centre.”
Aivaf is now working with council officers to develop the plans and there will be regular updates to the PGTCRF and through council committees as the project progresses.
Events have been taking place throughout 2025 with more in the pipeline to celebrate 250 years since Port Glasgow was established on 22 May 1775.
The origins of Port Glasgow date back to the late sixteenth century when the authorities in Glasgow purchased land by the village of Newark to establish a port for the city.
An act of parliament was passed in 1775 establishing Port Glasgow as a burgh in its own right and thus the town was born.