Last night, at Alexandria Parish church in Balloch, over 170 people, largely locals and residents, attended a Public Meeting called by the Balloch & Haldane Community Council. At this historic and unprecedented meeting, every single speaker raised their voice to object to the sale and development of Riverside and Drumkinnon in Balloch. They spoke with clarity, with passion and with anger. Missing from this important and vital meeting were the following. They had all been invited, and refused to attend. Scottish Enterprise, The Park Authority and Flamingo Land. Not one of them saw fit to recognise the concerns of the public, nor face them. Maintaining their radio silence. Despite what was feared by some, the meeting was orderly, respectful, even with passions burning. The good people of Balloch and Haldane, as well as their neighbours, were there to voice, not to cause trouble. They would have listened to the proposers of the plan had they had the decency to attend. The shock of the evening was profound when Councillor McColl, leader of the ruling SNP-led West Dunbartonshire Council took to the microphone and announced that although he had previously stated his support for the project, after listening to the people that night, he had to say that now, he too could no longer support the plan as he could not support the sale itself. This was met with thunderous cheers and applause. I don't think a church in Scotland has reverberated with such a din since the days of the Reformation itself! Councillor Sally Page, who also represents the ward with Cllr McColl also lent her support to the objections. She announced she will be going to the Scottish Parliament (today) to voice her disapproval and to ask questions. All on all, the public and their elected representatives spoke loud, clear and with unanimity - the sale of Loch Lomond at Balloch CANNOT proceed. Democracy returned in voice last night. As have I. Last night was crucial in my own decision making to carry on the fight to retain our lands in our hands and to protect Loch Lomond from further top-down over development. To know that the people truly have spoken and that at last our elected representatives at the former planning authority for this area have stood up and been counted too has made a world of difference. Myself, along with Emma McKerry of the Friends of Drumkinnon Woods have shouldered the weight for months now, to feel that weight go onto the correct shoulders is to feel a shared and welcome burden. I would like to thank all who spoke at the meeting, and to express my gratitude to the committee of Balloch and Haldane Community Council for their brave step of holding a large Public Meeting. Now we have eight days only to make our objections clear to the decision makers at the Planning Committee of the Park Authority. This development is unsuitable, it is a gross distortion of Balloch, it is a step too far along the road of over-development. It was always an affront to democracy and to the commonweal. The fight goes on, the people have spoken, and the leaders are waking up to the realities of this too.