WHILE the supporters' trust at Dumbarton FC has recognised the community and commercial potential that could come from a new stadium development for the club, it is not the case as your report suggests (“Fans back Sons of Rock move”, The Herald, December 28) that we have endorsed the current planning proposal for a move. That will depend on a fans' vote in the New Year. We retain a positive attitude and an open mind on the subject, but for us the key concern remains viability and sustainability.
Simon Barrow,
Communications Officer,
Sonstrust (Dumbarton FC Supporters' Trust)
3/3 Kirk Street, Leith, Edinburgh.
THE proposed move by Dumbarton Football Club has been planned for many months, and the planning application goes before West Dunbartonshire Council in the spring next year. I have no problem with the Sons fans wishing to expand their facilities; I fully appreciate how important football is to many people, both within the Dumbarton area, and elsewhere; I am also fully aware of being viewed as public enemy number one for opposing the proposed move to Young’s Farm, with the support of my community council.
On Boxing Day I walked along the west bank of the River Leven, the boundary of the proposed 40-acre development site. Many other people were enjoying the peace and tranquility of this unspoilt riverside walk. As we enjoyed our quiet walk, next to the greenbelt farmland, we saw many different species of birds; robins, blackbirds, blue tits, kingfisher, herons, goosanders, little grebe, mallard ducks, cormorants, gulls. What future for the birds, and other wildlife on the site and in the river, and the peace that pedestrians and cyclists enjoy, when the entire site is destroyed for a 4,000-seat stadium, with associated new roundabout from the A82, and extensive road layout? Two hundred private houses (enabling development without which the stadium cannot be built) will also be constructed on the site, resulting in yet more traffic on the surrounding roads.
There are many other reasons to object to this proposal, not least the suggestion that primary school children from the new houses would be able to walk along an unpaved, unlit, farm track to access their nearest school!
The Planning application is DC17/140 – if you want to object follow the links for planning applications on West Dunbartonshire Council’s website, or contact me.
Rose Harvie,
Secretary and Planning Officer, Silverton and Overtoun Community Council,
82 Bonhill Road, Dumbarton.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here