THE future status of Helensburgh’s Duchess Wood remains up in the air – after arrangements for its management stretching back more than 20 years came to an end last week.
Argyll and Bute Council’s role in the management of the wood officially came to an end on Friday, July 31, with control reverting back to the wood’s owner, Luss Estates.
But the last-ever meeting of the council’s Duchess Wood local nature reserve committee, held on Tuesday, heard advice that the woodland could retain its status as the only local nature reserve in the whole of Argyll and Bute – even without any firm council involvement.
That advice was provided by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) – but ran contrary to information prepared by the council in a report for the same meeting.
The council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee voted in December 2018 not to renew the management agreement, citing budget pressures.
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Stuart Campbell, from the Friends of Duchess Wood, told Tuesday’s meeting: “The council has had advice from SNH which is not reflected in this at all, and we find it very concerning that this should just be ignored.
“Not only that, but the SNH advice was not shared with us. The minutes of the last meeting note that it should have been. We had to ask for it.
“This has echoes of when the council decided to propose this without asking anybody.”
Shona Barton, council area committee manager, responded: “The overriding point is that the council would still have to have some form of agreement with Luss Estates in terms of maintaining the local nature reserve status.
“I do understand what you say about the fact that the council could hand over management to another group, but they would still need agreement.”
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Mr Campbell replied: “That is in counter to the SNH advice, which you did not share with us, and shows the proper way ahead. It is very concerning that the paper here today does not recognise this.”
Sean McCay, of Luss Estates, said: “We have said pretty consistently that we are very open to this continuing as a nature reserve.
“The council has made it pretty clear that it does not want a role, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t continue as a local nature reserve if there is an element of oversight.”
On the prospect of the council being unwilling to accommodate an extension, Councillor Lorna Douglas, the committee’s chair, said: “If that is the case, I want this to go back to the area committee to say that there are willing parties that are happy to oversee the management of the group.
“This would be at no cost to the council.
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“I could understand if there were financial implications in the current climate, but an agreement could be made where there is no financial pressure.”
Ms Barton agreed to take the SNH advice to the council’s legal department for further discussion on how to move forward.
Councillor Douglas then concluded: “Without being confrontational, to scrutinise what is going on here is part of my job.
“It is not about finding blame with anybody, but finding a way we can work to achieve this.
“I take on board the comments about trust and hopefully we can find a way forward with trust restored.”
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