National Park evicts widow

Sharon Thompson • Published 26 Nov 2009 13:17 0 Comments

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A LUSS widow has spoken of her fury after being threatened with eviction from the shop she has run for almost three decades.

Ray Thomson, whose husband Ian died two years ago, vowed to strip her business "back to the wood" after Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority demanded that she vacate the pier shop at Luss by February next year, so that the business could be put out to tender, to comply with 'competition' guidelines.

A public meeting attended by 70 people was held at the Pilgrimage Centre in the village on Monday night, to which members of the National Park and politicians were invited to talk about issues that were of concern to the village.

The Rev Dane Sherrard was first to question the circumstances surrounding Ray's situation.

He said that single issue had brought many people to the meeting.

"Mrs Thomson ran the shop with her husband for more than 25 years, creating it from absolutely nothing.

"Yet within months of the national park being here she has been served an eviction notice, which not only affects her livelihood, but others who are employed by the business, and members of the community who use the service.

"Ray and Ian furnished it and created the business with their own hands, installing electricity and running water and now they [National Park] are taking something from someone's own hands which they have created over 28 years.

Fiona Logan, chief executive of the national park, argued that they were simply complying with government guidelines in the same way which any other public body would.

She told the meeting: "I run a public sector organisation and decisions taken have to go through an internal and external auditing process in order to get best value for money.

"We have lots of contractors for different types of service throughout the park, and I have to be fair to them all.

"It's not possible for me to have one rule for some and a different one for others, it has to be totally transparent."

She added: "Of course I have human empathy for the situation Ray is in; but where there may be competition we have to say we have looked at it.

"I admit that we have communicated dreadfully throughout this process and it's not about money; it's because if someone else wants to have a crack at running it then we have got to be seen to do that."

"There is no legal contract in place just now and there is nothing to stop Ray applying for the lease again."

But Ray said she was left "disgusted" after a highly impersonal letter was sent to her towards the end of last month on behalf of the National Park - who lease the pier from Luss Estates - which said they required Mrs Thomson to quit the shop by no later than February 28 2010.

It stated: "In addition, all of your property should have been removed from the premises by this date. We intend to issue an invitation to tender for management of this facility in the near future and would encourage you to engage with this process."

Ray blasted the chief executive of the Authority, telling her that "I hope you have as many sleepless night as I have had over it."

She added: "Everything in that shop is mine, right down to the wood."

After the meeting, she told the Advertiser that several villagers had offered to start a petition to keep her in the shop.

She added: "I am absolutely furious - I can't put into words how angry I am about the whole situation.

"If my husband were here he would have been knocking down the National Park doors to complain, but I have had to deal with this myself.

"I have spent years building up the business, creating it from nothing and building up its reputation.

"I have had no trouble with any local authority over the years, but within months of the National Park arriving I have been given my marching orders."

Dane later told the meeting that Fiona Logan - who had to leave the meeting early for personal reasons - said the National Park would do everything they could - within their working set of guidelines - to ensure that Mrs Thomson could continue in the business

But Ray is not reassured, despite support from both Provost Billy Petrie and MSP Jackie Baillie.

Jackie asked that the National Park "think again" and "rather than put this out to competition, just accept that there is 28 years of history involved."

Meanwhile Mr Petrie pledged his support to Ray and said that he would write an official letter to Fiona Logan asking them to look at the situation compassionately.

He added: "Without Ray this building could have collapsed many years ago.

"I do understand that the National Park have a job to do, but I'll leave no stone unturned until I get a satisfactory answer; hopefully that Ray can continue."

A further statement was issued by Fiona Logan of the National Park on Tuesday.

She told the Advertiser: "We regret any upset caused to Mrs Thomson, the current occupier and are actively looking at other options to explore how we can best resolve the situation.

"I can give a personal assurance to both Mrs Thomson and the community that I'm treating this as a matter of urgency.

"We have spoken with Mrs Thomson in person and explained the process and have also invited her to submit a tender as part of the official process."

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