A LOCH Lomond conservation charity has announced the return of a scheme aimed at keeping the bonnie banks tidy during the summer...but has also confirmed that three schemes have had to be cut because of a lack of cash.
The Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs have secured enough cash to bring back their Bonnie Banks Bin Scheme for another year.
But there will be no portable toilets at Duck Bay or Arrochar, and no seasonal village warden service in Arrochar, after funding for the two initiatives was withdrawn.
The Windows on the Loch programme, which involves cutting back vegetation to keep some views of Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond open alongside the A82 and the cycleway between Arden and Tarbet, is also being cut.
The 'adopt a bin' scheme will continue thanks to a one-off grant from the Hannah Stirling Loch Lomond Trust, as well as funding from the local business community, and the Arrochar and Tarbet Community Development Trust.
John Urquhart, chair of the Friends, said: “Despite these setbacks, I am pleased to report that due to a hugely generous grant from the Hannah Stirling Loch Lomond Trust, plus continued generous sponsorship from local businesses, we will be able to continue the highly successful A82 layby bins part of the scheme.
“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Hannah’s fund trustees as well as to all the business sponsors which include Lochs and Glens Holidays, Forest Holidays, Cruise Loch Lomond, Sweeney’s Cruises, The Lodge on Loch Lomond, holidaycottages.co.uk, Loch Long Salmon, and Luss Estates.
“Once again it is Luss Estates which is the biggest business sponsor, so a special thanks to them.
“Tourism businesses have been struggling of late, so it is a sign of the importance they attach to this issue that, even when times are hard, they are willing to dip into company finances to the extent they do.
“However, the trustees of Hannah’s fund have made it clear that their grant is a one-off and will not be repeated, so the long-term issue of how to finance the bin scheme remains.”
After Thursday, April 11, local contractor Walter Dey and assistants ended efforts to control the fast-growing scrub which obscures views of Loch Lomond where the A82 runs close to the water.
Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs’ Two Lochs Visitor Management Project aimed to address the neglect of the long-standing littering and toileting problems along the A82 between Balloch and Tarbet.
The scheme was made possible thanks to Covid recovery funding awarded in 2020.
Stewart Hawthorn, managing director of sponsor Loch Long Salmon, said: “Loch Long Salmon is very pleased to support community initiatives such as this campaign from the Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.
“We look forward to working with both the Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and the Arrochar community in the future.”
A spokesperson from Argyll and Bute Council said: "We were able to contribute towards the toilets in previous years as part of a wider Staycation Project, however, reduced budgets mean we cannot do that this year.
"We want to be able to do everything that local people and our communities want us to do but unfortunately, we don’t have the funding to do so."
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