Much of this land is steeped in ancient history, including its ownership. Indeed the ownership has long been complex and disputed, especially when it comes to the riverbank and moorings. What is clear is that Dumbarton council gave their portion away to Scottish Enterprise for a nominal sum - what is unclear is what this gift of the people is being sold for now! That's one imbalance! But there is a great imbalance ahead if one company owns this, the bay itself, the woods (together with land they have already purchased further west) and that is in Balloch itself and its reputation. The current plans proposed by the company chosen by Scottish Enterprise involve setting up in competition with the rest of Balloch. They will create a new village centre and will in their own words operate in such a manner that they will 'ensure the project's sustainability' by drawing footfall to itself. The plans clearly show a strategic appropriation of all traffic to Lomond Shores at one end, and the capturing of railway traffic and feeding it into the complex at the other end. This will mean the creation of two Ballochs, splitting the village completely, with one side of the river Leven the old village and the country park and this new 'village' of commerce-only driven footfall on the other. This then, overall, even as a broad-based approach, renders this entire project contrary to the objectives first set out. It is not a public good project, yet this is how it is being sold by Scottish Enterprise and by the company. This project will cause a division in our community never seen before. One of Balloch's greatest strengths is its diversity and its open access. Indeed the history of modern Balloch's success can be attributed to Balloch Park's creation. Balloch Park was created, in public hands, as a response to a situation a century ago that is very similar indeed to the one we face now. As now, people were alarmed at the prospect of Balloch as a port and gateway to the loch becoming closed off in the hands of a few. It excited huge interest with large scale protests and culminated in two wealthy public minded gentlemen funding spearheading the purchase of the former Stewart lands of Balloch by Glasgow Corporation, ensuring the open access to the loch all enjoy at the present day. Would that such public spirit existed now! The very nature of Balloch since then has been a mix of private and public interest, which has resulted in a 'real village' - lively, at times earthy, with that distinctive mix of realism and commonwealth bonding that Loch Lomond has been famed for for over a thousand years. That healthy attitude that has ensured Balloch's vitality and popularity is now threatened by a project that will suck the life out of the existing village, and its larger districts, competing for trade, footfall and visitor attentions. With its own retail, eateries, pubs and appropriating a vast riverbank, along with capturing to itself, exclusively, the most commanding views of Loch Lomond, it will alter forever the character of Balloch and indeed may as well take a new name to itself as it will not be Balloch at all. It most certainly will not deserve our name! Locals who understand this are appalled. But so too are visitors who have came to Balloch for generations, to enjoy a place that is mercifully free from commercialised pressuring, but vibrant enough to suit their needs and tastes. Living by Loch Lomond is a balance, one that Balloch has managed to strike. Now that balance is about to be completely thrown off by a weighty commercialised endeavour that at one stroke will act as a competition to Balloch's existing B&B's, pubs, shops and eateries as well as greedily suck all traffic to itself and appropriate all potential left in Balloch - potential that should be made available to its wider population, and to foster true organic growth...something this project singularly fails to do. But worse than that, it will create an ideal of Balloch that is contrary to what visitors get now, which is free access and choice - to be replaced with an ideal that says, come, we empty your pockets at every step and with every glance of your eye!. Scottish Enterprise have gone about this entire project from beginning to end with a degree of modern greed-based insensitivity that is astonishing to behold. In the dead end we all face now of nowhere to turn, we have to turn to the government and say, you have to halt this, this is social and physical engineering by the strength of the wallet alone. It answers to no-one and only a handful of interests. We DEMAND better for Balloch, Loch Lomond and Scotland. WE are not for sale, nor is Loch Lomond and we will not stand to see our good name with visitors ruined for ever!