A U-turn has been urged as lay-bys in popular tourist areas are once again being closed in advance of surface dressing work on local roads.
One lay-by above Faslane on the A817 Haul Road has already been closed by Argyll and Bute Council and it is expected that, as in previous years, the other lay-by on that road will follow, as well as the one at Whistlefield (pictured below).
Two of the lay-bys form part of the Clyde Sea Lochs Trail, and Cllr Mark Irvine said today that he had asked officials to find alternatives.
“The lay-by at the head of the Gareloch is a very busy tourist and commercial vehicle stopping point,” he said.
“The closure will mean that in the busy coming months visitors will either by-pass the area, which seriously affects the ‘trickle down’ effect to the local economy, or they will try and park in inappropriate places.”
He said that in previous years cars had parked in gravel escape lanes or beside the road when the lay-by was closed off.
“That descent on the Haul Road towards Faslane is a 60mph downhill stretch and any interruption to the normal road width caused by dangerous roadside parking, or pedestrians walking back to the viewpoint, is of serious concern with regard to safety,” he said.
“There are blind bends and hidden summits and as a regular user of that that stretch of road I have seen the problems first hand during previous closures.”
Earlier this year the council announced a programme of surface dressing and other road repairs in the Helensburgh and Rosneath Peninsula area.
This week a spokesperson said: “We are investing just under £1m on road improvements in the Helensburgh and Lomond area.
“As part of these improvements, some lay-bys in the area may be used to store materials used in road improvements, as per previous years.
“This is an efficient use of space which makes sure our budget stretches as far as possible.”
But Fergus Madigan of Garelochhead Community Council said the plans were ‘dangerous’ and showed ‘complete and utter disregard of the needs of road users’.
“No rest and recuperation areas, no safe turning areas, no viewing areas on one of the most scenic roads in the area – the most negative and destructive process for the tourism draw of the local area,” he added.
“The Whistlefield and Faslane viewing points are marked viewing points for the Clyde Sea Lochs Trail and this is how we treat visitors to Argyll and Bute every single summer.
“The community council asks again in the interest of the safety of road users and to promote visitors to the area that this easily rectified practice is never repeated.
“Why not use a section of the MoD land opposite the firing range?”
Cllr Irvine said that if the lay-bys weren’t accessible tourists would simply drive past, without enjoying the views or supporting the local economy.
“If this summer is anything like the last year we will once again see vast numbers of visitors to the area and we must ensure that we can accommodate them safely on our roads, and in our lay-bys, to give the best possible impression of Argyll and Bute, and in particular Lomond North,” he said.
“I appreciate the need to have areas where vast quantities of resurfacing material can be deposited and drawn upon during the period of roadworks but I would hope that, given the huge tracts of land within our area, we could accommodate a compromise solution that allows tourism to flourish and alleviate any potential safety issues.”
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