Battle growing against Loch Lomond area big business sell-off

By Lynda McEwan - West Dunbartonshire

A major battle has broken out over the £30 million privatisation of land in Loch Lomond, West Dunbartonshire, which has given rise to a resistance developing against the profit model of big business.

In early spring of 2017 plans began to emerge from Iconic Leisure who own Flamingo Land, a theme park in Yorkshire, of what could only be described as the massive land grab of a world renowned beauty spot in West Riverside, Balloch, comprising of some 44 acres.

The plan is to build upscale hotels, lodges, a monorail and brewery. Most of the land around Drumkinnon Bay and the banks of the River Leven is being sold off to a private company.

Almost immediately after the news broke, an online petition against the development was created with over 30,000 flocking to put their names to it. It seemed that local opinion did not align with the proposal. Concern for the environment, local infrastructure being overwhelmed, how many well paid any jobs it would bring, and that a National Park was being sold to the highest bidder, were amongst the reasons for such strong opposition. 

By November, Iconic Leisure were ready to unveil their plans, hosting a public consultation in Lomond Shores. Attended by hundreds of angry residents wanting clarification on details of the plans, they were instead met with corporate suits using patronising language in order to deflect their questions. 

Socialist Party Scotland joined the struggle at this point as it became clear that any jobs would be seasonal and either low paid or zero hours contracts. We also opposed the environmental destruction that this would cause. We organised stalls in nearby Alexandria which saw most people voice how against the development they were. 

A Facebook page, Friends Of Drumkinnon Woods, was set up in opposition by local activist Emma McKerry, who said that she “started the campaign when she was on one of her frequent walks in the woods and spotted developers and surveyors.

She was shocked at the scale of the project and was moved to act to preserve the environment, to protect locals from low paid, unstable work in an area of high austerity and to expose the National Park’s underhand dealings.”

Along with other local activists she organised a Hands Round Drumkinnon Bay event, attended by 300 people, that brought much needed interest from local newspapers, spreading the word on the dangers of this level of privatisation going unchallenged.

Scottish Enterprise and The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority – who own the land and who chose Iconic Leisure as their preferred buyer – have come under huge pressure to reconsider this sale.

Almost a thousand online objections by local residents were made to these bodies and a large protest was held outside the LLTNPA offices. Another key consultee, the Balloch and Haldane Community Council, received 25 petitions from local residents to hold a meeting where they could raise their concerns.

Held in a local church on a Tuesday evening, there was standing room only and an outpouring of anger that the BHCC had given their approval, albeit with a caveat of awaiting final plans, without consulting those whom they are elected to represent. 

We pointed out that the SNP leader of the council, Jonathon McColl had given his stamp of approval to the development in a statement to the Lennox Herald just the previous week, sighting increased economic prosperity for the area.

This came amidst a backdrop of Joint Trade Union pressure to reverse £1 million pound worth of budget cuts in an area that is one of the most impoverished in Scotland. Austerity has removed most of West Dunbartonshire’s vital services and people are increasingly relying on food banks to get by. McColl, after listening to contributions, made one of his by now famous about turns and told the body of the meeting that they had convinced him to reject the development. 

Going forward, we say that people living below the poverty line deserve more than seasonal, low paid, non unionised jobs, and there are no guarantees that any companies contracted to build would come from local business. 

Furthermore the scale of the project and the price of the current lodges at their sister site would mean what is currently free and accessible land enjoyed by families for generations becoming gentrified, locking local children out and the affluent and wealthy in with little or no trickle down affect. 

Socialist Party Scotland demands 

• No to slave labour zero hour contracts and unpaid work trials
• We need skilled jobs paid at a £10 an hour minimum wage.
• No to a playground for the rich while our community is destroyed. West Dunbartonshire councillors, MSPs and MPs must stand up and oppose Flamingo Land, stop all the cuts to libraries and all council services, the Vale of Leven Hospital and the closure of the local job centre. For the council and the Scottish government to set no cuts budgets and tax the rich and big business.
• For public investment in affordable publicly run local leisure facilities and community services, environmental protection and job creation. Reopen full NHS services at the Vale hospital
• For real local democracy. For the park authority to be elected by the local community and all decisions re development and planning to be based with local directly elected community councils and tenants associations.

A demo will be held on the 8th September in Balloch which we will be attending and speaking at explaining the need for a mass campaign of civil disobedience against the construction.