By Bill Heaney
Feelings are running high about what is happening at the moment in Balloch.
West Dunbartonshire Council are getting it in the neck – and rightly so.
They have just announced another stage of their series of traffic closures in the Loch Lomondside village.
This, they say, is to help facilitate roadworks, Carrochan Road from Balloch Road to the A811 Lomond Road roundabout.
The road will be closed will be closed from Monday 25 March for up to 5 days, says the public notice which was issued on Facebook only on Friday.
It adds: “The restrictions will only be applied as and when signed.
“Access to the [Co-op] supermarket and [Loch Lomond and Trossachs ] park authority will be maintained.
“Further information, including a map of affected roads and diversion routes, is available at http://bit.ly/CarrochanRd.”
Large numbers of people have come to the end of their tether with this stuff.
The fact that Council leader Jonathan McColl is the local councillor appears to be of no benefit to the people of the Lomond Ward who voted the SNP man in.
Pleas to him at a protest meeting fell on deaf ears.
One business owner said: “He didn’t even produce a pen and a piece of paper to take note of our complaints.”
This evening, Paul Robins wrote these scarifying comments on social media: “I assume this being WDC’s page that you follow it and the comments therein.
“Please note that the road works on Balloch road are not only incomplete but have been left in a dangerous condition.
“The footpath is closed at one side, for no apparent reason meaning all pedestrians must cross over what is at present a ridiculously busy road.
“Note also that cones have been left along the route causing cars to squeeze past as there is no traffic management in place.
“There are also numerous signs and barriers lying on their side and strewn around the area.
“Add to this the rubble and stones left by the contractor which is both hazardous to two-wheeled vehicles and is stone chipping everyone’s car!
“What in Gods’ name is going on around here? This is an embarrassment for the whole area.
“We are driving on pot- holed, rubble strewn roads that you are throwing good money at and achieving nothing but chaos.”
He added: “KISS. Keep it simple stupid! Do one job right at a time then move on to the next – not this debacle. You should be ashamed.”
Nikki McFarlane wrote: “So many road closures at the same time next week. Wondering if I’ll even get out of Balloch to go to work.
“Do you think you could post a map of the closures so I can try work it out?”
Derek Morrison said: “With this work and also the work happening on the two roads that service Balloch, pray that you do not need to go anywhere in an emergency as you will be screwed.
“This council couldn’t organise a party in a brewery.”
West Dunbartonshire Council won’t apologise or explain through The Democrat.
Only millionaires and rich business conglomerates are allowed to benefit from the £500,000 a year they spend on communications.
Social media is the best thing that ever happened to local government in places like West Dunbartonshire.
In the past all the public’s complaints were shunted around the houses and swept under the municipal carpets.
But now all this – and much, much more, including the graft and corruption allegations which are reported elsewhere in The Democrat are out in the open for all to see.
We feel here, given the scandalous way we have been treated, that the Council deserves every word, dot and comma of the opprobrium it has been subjected to in the past year.
It’s time they came down from their ivory tower in the £15 million, unfit for purpose Burgh Hall and treated the press and public with respect.
It’s not just in Downing Street that there is chaos, confusion and an oversupply of claptrap at the moment.