Notebook by Bill Heaney
Sisyphus never did get to the top of the hill and neither will West Dunbartonshire Council who deserve to be put into special measures, which means that people with a bit more savvy would be put in charge of the circus in Church Street.
Even some of the councillors couldn’t believe it when they saw how a large tranche of the £19.9million Levelling-up fund, which was initially publicised as funding to regenerate the disastrous concrete monstrosity that is passed off as Dumbarton Town Centre, was going to be spent.
True to form, however, they have kept silent, or moderated their comments, about the concrete bollards disaster in Station Road, just as they did about painting the road itself like Jacob’s coat of many colours.
A total of 40 granite spheres were installed in Station Road in the town, with a Freedom of Information request from the Lennox Herald revealing that each bollard cost £677.23.
Freedom of Information process takes time and costs money which some of us don’t have to spare, although there seems to be plenty of it sloshing around the Council if only they knew how to spend it wisely.
That means the total cost of the concrete balls has cost £27,089 – not including the cost of of installing them on site – with the money coming from the UK Government’s Levelling-up fund, and ringfenced for improvements to active travel infrastructure in the area.
You will still have to negotiate the filthy walls and underpasses when the boulders are in place.
In 2021 WDC was awarded £19.9million from the Levelling-up fund, which will see the historic Glencairn House transformed into a library and museum, and the crumbling Artizan Centre redeveloped.
Labour member David McBride told the Lennox: “I hadn’t seen these traffic bollards in the drawings of the plans when they were shown to me when the plans were being drawn up.
“I am therefore still a bit undecided on the visual impact, however as traffic bollards go they certainly serve their purpose and are definitely a talking point!”
Well, it’s high time the councillor came to a decision and, unlike the Balloch Library closure and this piece of nonsense in Station Road, made it a good one.
They say he used to be indecisive, but now he just can’t make up his mind.
On social media locals were quick to share their opinions, with Gillian Bell saying: “I’m honestly dumbfounded. There’s no money for valuable services and cuts everywhere, but we have money for this eyesore. Why?”
There were more than 100 citizens, as the council likes to call council taxpayers these days, agreeing with Gillian on social media.
Even SNP group leader, Dumbarton member Councillor Karen Murray Conaghan, said she wasn’t a fan of this bollox.
She told the Lennox (the SNP don’t speak to The Democrat either, so we must be doing something right) : “The bollards, the new paving and layout on Station Road have caused a fair bit of chatter on social media, and elsewhere. Some people seem to like them and others aren’t enamoured of them, including myself.
“The whole project was funded through Levelling-Up funding and therefore the money spent was not available to spend on more pressing issues like potholes.
“There was a consultation taken a while back about connecting the main station in Dumbarton to the town centre and these works have been as part of that project. Ultimately the bollards are to prevent drivers parking in those areas and perhaps over time locals who aren’t keen on them may grow to, if not like, then accept that they serve that purpose.”
I don’t know what “chatter” means in SNP speak, but whatever it is that’s being said it’s far from complimentary.
Fellow SNP Dumbarton member Councillor Chris Pollock said: “The bollards outside Dumbarton Central Station are proving to be Marmite for locals. Many residents like the way they look and think they will be a good parking deterrent.
“Others are not so keen and think they have been a waste of money and the funding would have been better spent improving other areas. Other concerns are how sturdy they are and if they will be easily vandalised.”
Why can’t our councillors put their party prejudices aside and admit this boulder business is a complete and utter waste of money, our money. It’s a Park and Ride scheme without the parking.
In case they hadn’t notices we not only pay community charges and bumped up taxes to Holyrood but cash from our finances to Westminster too.
If the Council won’t speak to us then we’ll continue to speak to them, but will they ever listen? Will they ever embrace empowerment for citizens, recognise democracy and understand what it means, and listen to what the people have to say for a change:
