PICTURES BY OTTO EASTBROOK
Notebook
Pride in your town? The SNP administration in West Dunbartonshire Council may like us to think that they promote ancient Dumbarton as a town which attracts visitors.
After all, we have Dumbarton Castle and the Rock, Levengrove Park, the Lang Craigs and we are now having £ millions spent on a walkway along the banks of the River Leven between the High Street to the Castle Park.
The truth of the matter is that the Council – the duties of Harbour Master for Dumbarton’s riverside and quay lie with them – is neglecting one of our finest assets, the River Leven itself.
All the evidence is there in these photographs which were taken recently and posted on social media for all the world to see by Otto Eastbrook.
They have already attracted a number of critical comments, including these from Eddie Connelly who says they reveal “a sight for sore eyes”, Jim Carmouche who says the Council is guilty of a dereliction of duty and Ian Molloy, who is dismayed.
One is left wondering if the Council leader, Jonathan McColl, ever takes a walk around Levengrove although, by the look of him, that seems unlikely.
What he should do immediately is put a motion before the Council to have the river cleaned up by a contractor.
And just ignore the procurement rules (awarding of the contract) in the way they were doing for years until they were exposed by Cllr Jim Bollan and his former colleague, George Black.
If Cllr McColl and his right hand woman, Joyce White, start pouring out the usual legal tame excuses about these wrecks belonging to people and the council not being able to act without risk of being taken to court, they should tell the “owners” to go raffle themselves.
And tell the owners that it is they who will be in court on a charge of littering the river and bringing the Royal and Ancient Burgh of Dumbarton into disrepute.
BILL HEANEY