The Merkins windfarm planning application was decided at the WDC planning meeting on Wednesday 23rd October 2013.  Only 6 councillors attended and one declared an interest and left.

Planning officials had recommended refusal, as being contrary to several policies  of the West Dunbartonshire Local Plan and the proposed Local Development Plan.

1. The wind farm would be unacceptable due to its detrimental impact on the Kilpatrick Hills Regional Scenic Area/Local Landscape Area. 
2. The wind farm would be unacceptable due to its detrimental impact on Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park and the Loch Lomond National Scenic Area.
3. The proposed wind farm would conflict with aviation safeguarding criteria which could endanger aviation safety.
   

 
Opposition speakers were Stuart Mearns for the National Park, James Fraser for the Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, Chris Ellen for local residents and Sue Glover read an objection from Sally Page who was on holiday.  For the proposals were Mr Nicolson of Bellsmyre Community Trust and the applicant Steve Mackin.  Willie Roxburgh spoke to correct figures re Kilmaronock Community Council surveys erroneously quoted in the Planning Report. 

Cllr Agnew proposed refusal, seconded by Provost Douglas McAllister. Cllr Jonathan McColl made an amendment proposing acceptance and was seconded by Chairman Cllr. Lawrence O’Neill.   All was down to the casting vote from Cllr. Gail Casey, fortunately she was quite clear in her mind that the application should be refused.

Clydebelt recently had the following from an enquirer (thanks for the information).

New track building ... branch left and right from the Loch Humphrey track in the vicinity of the loch itself. One goes off towards Greenside Loch and the other runs away in the direction of Milton, adjacent to the forest edge. The works are quite substantial and look designed for heavy stuff - not just pedestrians and cyclists.

Apparently the new roads are for access to power line works. The Forestry Commission wants to retain them afterwards for their own purposes.

See this link to an account of a walk by someone who "spent most of the summer forging a new road through a part of the Kilpatrick Hills" :
http://www.scottishhills.com/html/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=16276

This is in addition to other road works planned for the hills that we've been told about:

FCS have just bought the small plantation above Wester Cameron Farm. This is to help them secure a exit route for the timber from Merkins plantations. The route west down Auchencarroch road was always looking difficult-the road could not cope with timber wagons. 

They are now planning to take the timber east over the Cameron Muir track to Finnich Toll. Campbell Graham, Aucheneck, has agreed to the upgrading of this track. This leaves them with a short distance of new track to build to link into the existing forest road. The John Muir Trail will be using the existing forest track and coming west down Auchencarroch road before joining CR7 to Balloch.

NEWS RELEASE issued by Golley Slater on behalf of Forestry Commission Scotland
11 October 2013
Experience autumn and choose your national tree
Forestry Commission Scotland is encouraging people to check out the spectacular colours of autumn and consider a national tree for Scotland at the same time.While you’re out exploring the Kilpatrick Hills, which is part of a network of woods across Glasgow that form part of a legacy project of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, capture the change in season on camera and enter it into a photography competition.
All entries have a chance to be featured in the official 2015 Commonwealth Woods calendar. For more details visit: www.commonwoods.org.uk/competitions
 
To give views on a national tree of Scotland log on to www.forestry.gov.uk/scotlandsnationaltree.
 

Litter Picks—Saltings First Sunday every month between 10am and 12. Meet at the car park behind the Scout Hall in Erskine Ferry Road.  Contact Linda Adam on 07805 809883 

Tuesday 19th November at 7.30 in Trinity Church Hall, Roman Road, Duntocher.

For several years we have included a reply slip on the AGM Notice and Newsletter for members to return and indicate they still wished to remain members. Very few were returned.  Only those who have been in communication with us in some way in the last five years or have given us an e-mail address will now receive the AGM Notice and Newsletters. In the past over 300 were posted or hand delivered and we no longer can ask committee members to deliver round the doors nor do we now have the resources for large scale posting to recipients who may have moved or have not replied.


Our constitution states that the membership fee should be fixed annually at the AGM. When Clydebelt was formed in 1990, the joining fee was a minimum donation of £1 per household and has never changed. Several very successful fund raising events were held and a reserve of cash, in case of expenses in litigation, accumulated. Amazingly no annual fees have been levied since, but our reserves are now low and at the AGM a proposal will be made that a minimum donation of £3 should be asked from each member or household. Our thanks to several members who have made donations in the last few years.  

As usual we will have a guest speaker, Paula Baker RSPB, site manager for the new Loch Lomond Reserve at Wards Farm Gartocharn. We hope you will show support by attending.

The draft of the proposed LDP has now been put on the WDC website for comment.  

One of the purposes of the LDP is to give a recommended usage designation  to land eg  for housing, which will then be difficult to argue against if a planning application is made. Sites for 5000 houses have been identified, as well as 50 hectares of land for industrial or business use. Although it is a lengthy document it is important to study the plan to see if there is anything you would take exception to and then make comment. Once amended and approved it regulates the whole planning process until 2019 and beyond. 

 Representations must be on the official form and made by 29th November.

See and select Proposed plan at  http://development-plan-online.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/oldp-web/doc/contentsAction.do?itemId=ID4fa04fbc0b0ce68711f7550ce6113720&pageSize=20&pageNumber=1 

Documents can be seen at Council Buildings at Rosebery Place and Garshake and at Libraries

At the WDC Planning Committee meeting on 25th September a report was presented on the proposed Kilpatrick Hills Local Landscape Area (LLA). We hope this should give the area further protection and enhancement. It makes much of the importance of landscape. It replaces the existing Regional Scenic Area designation introduced in the Strathclyde Structure Plan of 1981and will be part of the new West Dunbartonshire Local Development Plan (WDLDP) currently in formation(see above).

 A draft Statement of Importance has been prepared by WDC, SNH and with input from East Dunbartonshire. This makes very interesting reading and if the idylls being glowingly described in the 14 page Appendix 1, are to be protected by the Local Development Plan, it should, hopefully,  make developments such as quarries and wind farms in scenic areas unlikely to get planning permission. 

To see the document – from the WDC website home page/Council and Government/Find Meeting Agendas and Minutes/View Meetings/25th Sept. 10.00 Planning Meeting/ Item 8  & Appendix 1 . The Report has several pictures with large file sizes.

A reminder from Eilidh Malcolm -Woodland Learning & Community Officer Woodland Trust Scotland & Forestry Commission Scotland Lang Craigs & Kilpatrick Hills
We would love you and other members of Clydebelt to join us to help plant new native woodland at Lang Craigs and enjoy the breathtaking landscape of the Kilpatrick Hills.

Autumn Community Tree Planting Day
Lang Craigs Wood 
Saturday 5th October 2013, 11am - 2pm
Meet at West Dunbartonshire Council Office car Park, Garshake Road G82 3LG.
 
A minibus will transport you to the planting site.

There will be child friendly activities such as African drumming, environmental art and also refreshments for volunteers. 
Please wear warm clothes and sturdy footwear. 
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. 
Dogs are welcome on leads.

Please let us know if you plan to join us so that we have an idea of numbers for the catering.
To book a space or find out more please contact Woodland Trust Scotland Email: scotland@woodlandtrust.org.uk

As mentioned in our last Newsletter West Dunbartonshire Council wishes to build a new catholic secondary school. Initially they looked at 7 sites, which were reduced to 2 - Posties' Park, immediately adjacent to Levengrove Park in Dumbarton, between the River Leven and the Clyde, and the existing site in Cardross Road, also Dumbarton. 

While there are positives and negatives for both sites, there is considerable public opposition to the Posties' Park site. It is against the adopted Local Plan on at least four planning grounds - retained open greenspace, parkland, loss of trees, and 2 environmental designations under European law,  and there are also lots of 'material considerations', such as traffic congestion, noise, safety near 2 rivers etc. etc. 

The Council has now opened a 6 week public consultation into the choice between the 2 sites, starting Sept. 19th, and a decision will be reached in Jan. next year. People wishing to comment (not formal planning objections at this stage), should go into the WDC website - and read the consultation document before they make up their minds. If the link doesn’t work go to the  website Home page and Consultations/public consultations/school consultations--documents and proposals.

There is also a Save Posties Park Facebook page.