ROWING: MSP Ross Greer Calls for Young Rowers to be Given A Chance

By Bill Heaney

Green MSP Ross Greer, pictured right,  has called on Scottish Enterprise to reverse its decision to prevent a local rowing club for young people from temporarily basing itself at Balloch Pier, preventing almost fifty local children and young people from taking part in the sport.

Loch Lomond Rowing Club on the River Leven, Scotland’s oldest rowing club, are no longer able to have young people row on the river due to changes in their insurance policy, so are actively looking for a permanent base on the loch itself.

As a temporary measure, the club has been looking to use the slipway at Balloch Pierhead, by the Maid of the Loch.

This would require placing a container at the site. While they are confident of receiving planning permission for up to three years for the container, the club have been informed that the landowners, Scottish Enterprise , will not allow this due to ongoing land negotiations and not wishing to add additional burdens to their existing contract with Flamingo Land.

Despite these stated reasons, a container selling coffee was recently opened in the same area.

Scottish Enterprise have an ongoing ‘exclusivity agreement’ covering this location signed with Flamingo Land, which would see the land sold to the Yorkshire-based theme park developer should they receive planning permission for their second ‘resort’ proposal.

At the time of writing, no final planning application has been submitted by Flamingo Land.

This decision by Scottish Enterprise means that a waiting list of 48 young people, most of whom are from the local area and many of whom are from areas of high deprivation nearby, are left without the opportunity to take part in the sport.

Ross Greer, who led the campaign against Flamingo Land’s previous planning application for the site, which was withdrawn after a record number of objections were lodged, has written to Scottish Enterprise urging them to reverse their decision, and commented:

“This seems like an entirely resolvable bureaucratic problem, one which if not resolved will result in dozens of local young people left unable to take part in the sport they have chosen.

“I’ve written to Scottish Enterprise to ask exactly what the problem is and if they have spoken to Flamingo Land about a potential solution, or if this is a position taken exclusively by the agency itself. As a public body, Scottish Enterprise should jump at the chance to help out a community group like this.

“Given that a final application has not even been lodged by Flamingo Land, never mind been approved, the site clearly won’t be needed for building work any time soon.

“For all many of us hope that Flamingo Land’s inappropriate plans are rejected, the club only need this as a temporary solution, a point I hope Scottish Enterprise will recognise.”