PRESS RELEASE For immediate release Tuesday, 26th June 2018 From Bruce Biddulph Stop the Sale of Loch Lomond Alexandria Dunbartonshire Scotland Today an online petition was delivered to the Scottish Government, asking the government to stop the sale of land at Balloch, Loch Lomond and to re-examine the entire development proposed there by Scottish Enterprise in association with Flamingo Land. Over 21,000 people have signed the petition to date, from the local area, wider West Dunbartonshire, and the rest of Scotland and indeed the world over. Each has demanded that this entire process be looked at and that the sale of locally sensitive and well used riverbanks, an ancient woodland and a popular sandy bay much used by generations of locals and visitors alike down the ages must not proceed as it stands in the plans outlined by Flamingo Land and initiated by Scottish Enterprise in their desperation to make a sale. Bruce Biddulph, along with other local people were first made aware of the sale itself when seeing an 'under offer' sign plastered over the site's name in Balloch. Then they realised fully that what they were looking at was not so much a development as land sales, that included areas they felt should never have been sold for development. "I don't think any of us are opposed to developments per se," said Bruce Biddulph. "Of course we want to see jobs and new ideas come to Balloch, but this proposal is like a sledgehammer to crack a nut." The plans as they have emerged show a huge area of the west side of the River Leven, encompassing contentious areas such as the river's banks right up to the edge of the water and even ownership implied to the middle of the river, threatening what has long been considered 'no man's land' - that is the moorings long used by the working man and woman to have their boats secured safely and now with various cruising clubs, at affordable rates and in an ordered fashion. "The 'boat people' have worked very hard to clean up the area, create their pontoons and maintain the river at this point as an affordable non-commercial region that serves the community. They and I fear a sale will inevitably lead to their being seen as an uneconomic part of their own locality. Wiping out generations of goodwill and standing as well as loss to the less well off in general." said Bruce. Other concerns centre round Drumkinnon Bay itself and Drumkinnon Woods. Both have special places in the hearts and minds of locals. The woods have been marked as extant since the 1700s, and are deemed to be Ancient Woodland. Locals use the woods regularly for walks, dog walking and to escape the hustle and bustle of busy Balloch. As well as this they afford easy access to those who cannot negotiate hills or who find Balloch Park too over-populated at busy times. Emma McKerry, who first highlighted the threat to the woods calls them 'a haven'. Flamingo Land propose to build dozens of lodges in the woods as well as utilise the trees for walkways and adventure pursuits, which Emma believes will ruin the peace and tranquility as well as place the future of the woods entirely in doubt. Similar concerns are voiced over the last vestige of Drumkinnon Bay beside the Maid of the Loch's steam slipway. For as long as people can recall, this bay was where locals and visitors learned to swim and has always been a popular draw in summer where everyone can enjoy the loch freely and partake of the fine views. Again Flamingo Land will not only own this bay outright they have plans to build a massive apartment style hotel right up to the bay itself and their consultation exercise with the public in 2017 showed that they intended to build over the bay an outdoor swimming pool. Since then they have alleged to have pulled back from the bay in their plans, but their ownership will of course be permanent. It is these 'sacred cows' that locals are concerned about and the petitioners from all over Scotland and the rest of the world, many of whom visit Balloch and have shared with locals these common areas are equally aghast at the thought of one company owning such a huge and sensitive collection of sites. Recently at a public meeting, over 160 locals heard the leader of West Dunbartonshire council state that he too shared their concerns and opposed the development on principle, the principle of selling off these properties at all. Now that the national press have taken an interest and that local representatives have made their disquiet public, Bruce Biddulph now believes it is time for the Scottish Government to take a view and take action. "After all, it was a government quango initiated this," Bruce reasons," and it will be another government quango passes or rejects the planning application in principle, the Park Authority, not our locally elected and accountable council. Therefore this petition is addressed to government. Once this is sold, it is gone. It is for government to call this in and charge Scottish Enterprise to come up with a better plan and hopefully we can proceed with investments and developments that are suited to Balloch and fully address and safeguard public amenity as well as create an open access area that preserves the character of a much-loved place at home and abroad."