Budget cuts force village folk to address loch litter

A resident, who did not wish to be named, said Argyll and Bute Council is not doing enough to address the problem whilst locals are being left holding the bin bags.

He said: “Being a small community there is only so much we can organise in the events of a beach clean once per month.

“This is meant to be part of a national park. It’s a total disgrace for any holiday maker or passer-by commuting through and realising the deprivation of this small seaside village, with the litter that is occurring day by day.”

However, the council has said budget cuts has reduced the amenity services teams – and communities must work together to address the problem.

Mary Haggarty, secretary of Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui Community Council, said litter has always been a problem in the area. She added: “There has always been seaweed, driftwood and the odd unusual item washed up on the shores of the loch, as a tidal sea loch these deposits are made by the wind and the tide, both of which are governed by a force stronger than man.”

Ms Haggarty added there are two main elements which have contributed to the litter problem: the reclaiming of natural wetland to provide car parking and the introduction of plastic. She said: “The rubbish is not a new thing. The actual creation of the rubbish is not getting any worse, but the budgets allocated to the authority to clean up the problem is drastically being reduced, which in turn reflects on this type of problem.”

Argyll and Bute Council is responsible for the upkeep and cleaning of the car parks, but not the shoreline.

The community council works with the local authority and they have applied for a grant to clean the shoreline once or twice a year depending on the accumulation of deposits.

Volunteer litter pickers also help hand pick litter from time to time, but a long-term solution is needed.

Ms Haggarty added: “It is my view that the Scottish Government, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, Visit Scotland, and any other party benefitting from the unique attractions the Arrochar area provides, free for tourists, should be supporting Argyll and Bute Council with more finance and manpower to deal with the problem.

“Not just a one off, but a permanent solution to the issue.”

Speaking about the “never ending” litter problem, Councillor George Freeman said he is contacting organisations to discuss how they may be able to help.

He added: “Along with any actions that any organisation can take to help remove litter from our beaches, I want to discuss what options are open to us to be more proactive in trying to prevent litter gathering in the first place rather than communities continuing to be reactive and having to clear litter up after it has been deposited on our beaches.”

A spokesman for Argyll and Bute Council said: “Due to financial pressures we have had to make savings which have reduced the team in Helensburgh and Lomond. "

“We employ a seasonal beach cleaner each year, starting in May, as well as a squad which works in Arrochar every three or so days.

“Our team works diligently to ensure the public spaces in Helensburgh and Lomond are maintained to as high a standard as possible but sometimes we can’t do all that we would like to do for our communities; we need people to work with us to ensure the area is kept clean and tidy.”