Our charity’s top priorities are to bring key stakeholders together to agree a vision for Balloch Park and work in partnership with the local community to regenerate it and help make it a sustainable, high quality nature and heritage asset.
We were delighted Peter Hessett, Chief Executive of West Dumbarton Council (which leases the Park from owner Glasgow City Council) agreed to chair the first Balloch Castle Country Park Strategic Delivery Partnership meeting this month. Senior staff from Historic Environment Scotland, Visit Scotland, Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park and WDC joined three of our Trustees for a packed agenda.
Much of the discussion focussed around the lease between GCC and WDC and Park’s built assets, particularly the castle. George Findlater from Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has offered to arrange a HES architect to meet with WDC staff to, in the first instance, make an overall assessment of the built assets. HES will also assist with creating a funding strategy for the Park.
Balloch Park, which is one of Scotland’s 40 Country Parks and the only one that sits within a National Park, was widely credited as an ‘anchor’ destination of national strategic importance in Scotland because of its intrinsic beauty and value, its position on the shores of Loch Lomond – the true gateway to the Highlands & Islands. The Park also ranks highly as it is so accessible by public transport.
Given Balloch Park’s exceptional biodiversity, Visit Scotland’s Lynn Cooper offered to advise on options and examples of successful nature tourism initiatives and partnerships which could be explored for the Park. She will also share information about the new masterplan for Chatelherault Country Park and suggested Glasgow City Region and Forth Valley and Lomond CLLD could be possible sources of financial support in the future.
Other potential future partners of BCCP SDP were raised including GCC, CHAS, Loch Lomond South Community Development Trust, AGGREKO, Loch Lomond Group, Woodland Trust Scotland (which owns the neighbouring Whinny Hill Reserve) and NatureScot.
Our Regeneration Group is managing and administering the SDP and will prepare a draft action plan based on the discussions from the first meeting. This will form the basis of the next meeting, which will be at Balloch Park in October (date tbc) and will be chaired by Peter Hessett.
