By Bill Heaney
West Dunbartonshire Council have pledged themselves to empowering the people who live here to make important decisions in regard to the future of this community.
However, while they may have written this down on paper, there is no sign that they have any intention of doing this today.
For example, the people of Bonhill and many other parts of Vale of Leven and beyond have made it abundantly clear that they don’t want a wind turbine at Pappert.
The public have given a multitude of reasons why they don’t want this monstrosity, as they see it, to blight their landscape.
The applicant for planning permission to erect it has made it perfectly clear he doesn’t give a tinker’s curse what the public think.
He/she has flouted all the rules in relation to the application and has not complied to the Council’s request not to proceed with the turbine or any matters relating to it until a final decision is made as to whether this will receive the green light or not.
He obviously believes the Council – and any sanctions they may have up their sleeves to deal with non compliance – aren’t worth bothering about.
It seems, the applicant is correct in this since West Dunbartonshire Council’s planning chief Pamela Clifford has recommended that the application should be approved.
In a recent article I wrote about another planning matter, the creation of an industrial estate on contaminated land at the old Esso terminal in Bowling, I suggested they should first have a look at the other designated industrial estates in the area.
The Vale of Leven industrial estate, for example, badly needed regenerated and cleaned up and marketed properly to attract new companies who would provide jobs there.
Astonished I was when the advertisement above for the old Burroughs factory appeared out of the blue in my in-box today.
I am not suggesting that West Dunbartonshire Council paid any notice to what I had to say in my column.
Why would they? They probably don’t read about local matters of importance and they certainly don’t talk to me for uttering mild criticism of them for the way they go about their business.
It appears to go against the grain for local councillors to pay any heed to the local press and public.
They are too full of themselves for that, it appears.
However, they should start listening, and listening now.
To people like Marion Saoirse Plunkett for example and others who are not the least bit happy about the Council’s plan to sell off the Burroughs site.
She wrote on social media tonight: “As usual West Dunbartonshire Council sell off land where wild Deer forage, birds nest and people use for walking with their dogs. Meanwhile, already concreted zones within the estate are left to rot and crumble.
“You have plenty of other areas yet you seem determined to destroy all the places where nature thrives and the community benefits.
“I would welcome your feedback because I would like to understand the rationale for this. You can’t sell prime locations as it is but you want to take places like this? It’s madness.”
John Sweeney wrote: “All about the money wdc 
joke of a mob?”
joke of a mob?”Lauren O’Neill added: “The council shouldn’t be pleased to offer this land, they should be embarrassed! “Determined to destroy yet more land that our wild life use and residents of our community uses to walk.
“Your priorities are ridiculous, all about doing what you can to turn a profit and line your pockets rather than preserve our land and improve our community.
“Totally against selling more green land and destroying habitats and wildlife, but if you do sell the land maybe you’ll use the money to fix the plenty of potholes on the road that need sorted
.”
.”Kevin Doherty urged the council leader: “Get your act together [Martin] Rooney and stop this from going ahead.”
Claire Chilcott added: “I will give you a tenner for it, I think that’s a fair price considering what you sell off everything else for. I have great plans for it too.”
Mark McGill: “What happened to the industrial estate at Lomondgate? I seem to remember at the time, John McFall promoting it.
“All that was eventually done was a road laid for an entrance for Aggreko or Kilmalid. Why is this not being heavily promoted for industrial use and not sell off assets/ground?”
Joanna Fitzgerald Davis asked: “They cut grass strange say it was to help wildlife and now there selling off any land they can. What happened to green space ?”
Maggie MacDonald said: “A lovely green area used for walking to be sold off and used for industry as usual. Sad!”
Paul Young added: “The photo isn’t even up to date. The semi circle of land in front of it is now new industrial units!!”
Scott Williamson asked what ever so many people ask day in and day out: “Any chance of fixing the roads? Industrial estates roads are twinned with Syria.”
Margaret Pittam said :”Sold off for Money . Shame on you WDC.”
That’s what the people think. Have the Council expressed to them that they want to empower them in regard to important decisions such as this?
If they have, I haven’t heard a thing. £400,000 a year for Council communications and no one will talk to me because I am alleged to have offended the Provost during a meeting by asking for the sound to be turned up so we could hear what was being said.
Mind you, when you actually hear what is being said in your name there is little wonder that they want to keep it quiet.