Its 12 months since our local MSP intervened to make the Scottish Parliament rush through the planning application  for the concreting over of Pencil Bay in record time. Yet there still no sign of any work starting on the beach. Is Pencil Bay Saved?  Well no work can be carried out during the “designated bathing season” which began on June 1st. This means that Pencil Bay is safe until at least September 15th – so can be enjoyed all summer!

We’re hoping that maybe the recession has bitten a hole in the Marina’s back-pocket and they can no longer afford to go ahead with this development. If so, the fact that we delayed things for a whole year is a real victory!

But why has it all gone quiet?

Well we’d made further objections under Coastal Protection Act which delayed the final lot of legal consents until February, giving us enough time to launch our Campaign Film – which has now had 750 hits on You Tube. If you’ve not already watched it,  go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO3RyOKAA8g 

However, there’s something fishy afoot. On 5th February 2009 Largs Yacht Haven lodged further plans to expand their marina to the south namely the “Dredging of marina to form 50 additional berths and reclamation of land to form a storage area for 200 boats” This proposed expansion is already been subject to an environmental impact assessment and was known about over a year ago when we had our public meeting. However the details of this expansion have never been reported in the local press and nobody in Largs really knows about them.

We’ve gotten hold of a copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment which shows that the development to the south is much bigger than what was proposed at Pencil Bay. It also makes a mockery of claims from those supporting the concreting over of Pencil Bay that there was no alternative location for a new slipway.

Enjoy the beach this summer!

Not blogged for a while – so here’s a wee update:

In September we were out and about leafletting during Largs Viking Festival. Almost everyone  we spoke to were opposed to the development at Pencil Bay – even sailors told us that they didnt understand why the Scottish Sailing Institute couldnt just extend the existing slipway rather than concrete over the whole beach.

“What use is a slipway that can’t be used when the tide is out”

“Its a disgrace what they are doing – they are destroying the bay”

On September 15th about a dozen folks braved the cold and pouring rain to protest. They were joined by a giant oystercatcher. Our protest was symbolic, coz you are never going to massess of folks out in the rain at 8am on a Monday morning – but gave a clear signal that our campaign aint going away.

The wee paper actually gave a fair report on the protest (perhaps the editor was off on another holiday), but the Scottish Sailing Institute  were quoted as saying that all consents were in place – which aint the case.

Since September we’ve made further objections under the terms of 1949 Coast Protection Act – unfortunately consent has now been granted under Section 34 of this Act, the Scottish Government sending in a 3 line reply to our detailed legal submission. However consent is still needed under Section 18 of the Act – due to them wanting to remove rocks from the bay. Without us pointing this out it is doubtful if they would have bothered asking for this.

Interestingly the applications for consent under Coast Protection Act were lodged by the larger and more commercial Largs Yacht Haven and not the smaller Scottish Sailing Institute (SSI). We suspect that the Yacht Haven are using the SSI as a front for the development in order to get access to public funds.

In November we discovered that the cost of concreting over the bay is £620,000 and not £350,000 previously reported. Our local Council will be providing a very large chunk of this money, thats the same council who lost 26 million in Icelandic banks and are making cutbacks to services for the elderly. I wonder how many councillors have got yachts at the Marina?

The Yacht Haven also have plans to expand to the south, but these ain’t been made public yet – anybody with more information on what these plans are please let us know!

Thats all for now

We’re gearing up for our next round of protests against plans to build a new slipway and dinghy park on top of Largs most beautiful beach.

Join us on Saturday 6th September for some leafletting at the Viking festival and then at 8 am on Monday 15th September when we’ll be protesting at the Pencil. The 15th September marks the end of the designated bathing season. North Ayrshire Council have said that no building work could take place until the bathing season had finished – so its an important date in our protest calendar. Please pop in on your way to work or school and watch out for a surprise appearance from a much loved local character….

Despite what the local paper and council might have you believe, the Scottish sailing Institute do not actually have all the planning consents they need to start building work. As the proposed development involves work between high and low tide, separate consents are needed from Scottish Government under the terms of 1949 Coast Protection Act. We’ve just made detailed representations to the Scottish Government – highlighting how there is a legal requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment to be carried out. We’ve also ask that due to the procedural irregularities in the planning process they hold a local inquiry so that objectors to the scheme can have their concerns properly listened to. We’re waiting to hear their repsonse

We’ve made it clear from the start of our campaign that we are not opposed to the local Marina and, recognise that sailing has an important part to play in Largs…. BUT what we’ve said is that it is wrong for this slipway to be built on top of a much loved local beauty spot, especially when there are already two slipways on the bay which could be extended. Our concerns are legitimate and shared by many – so why does the local paper continue to pour scorn upon us and why have they never had the professionalism to actually ask us for an interview to put across our concerns?

Here’s a few other questions that remain unanswered

(1) Precisely how much money are the local council giving to this scheme and have the council, as an inside source suggested to us, actually spent some of this money BEFORE planning permission was granted?

(2) What, if any, are the business connections between local councillors/MSP who are so keen for this development to go ahead and the companies who will profit from it?

(3) Who is the real driver behind this development – the smaller Scottish Sailing Institute who applied for permission from the local council, or the larger Largs Yacht Haven who have applied for permission from Scottish Government. Is this just an intermediary stage in a much larger development?

If anyone has any answers then email us tim01@tiscali.co.uk

We’ll keep you posted

The campaign team

The Save Pencil Bay campaign held the first of its summer of protests last Sunday, in an attempt to stop Largs most beautiful beach being concreted over. Pencil Bay – famous for a historic victory for Scots over the Vikings  in 1263, is under threat from the expansion of sailing facilities and the Save Pencil Bay Campaign need your help.

North Ayrshire Council are one of the main financial backers of a proposed expansion of sailing facilities (new slipway and dinghy parrk) which will result in the most beautiful beach in Largs being concreted over. Pencil Bay has just won a Keep Scotland Beautiful Seaside Award and is adjacent to the listed Pencil Monument.

In June the planning application was passed to the Scottish Government as there had been a significant number of objections. Unfortunately following on political lobbying the Scot Govt decided (in just 2-3 days) not to call in the application so has been passed back to Council who have given scheme go ahead. Building work is due to start in September.

Campaigner Tim Cowen explains more : “The whole planning process has been a corrupt farce - there’s been no public consultation, no site notices and plans were not available locally. The only drawings that were made public were doctored to make the development look smaller than it is and people who sent in objections were omitted from the planning officers report. The proposed new slipway won’t be able to be used when tide is out and we suspect this is an intermediary stage of a much larger development. Pressure for expansion is being driven by need for more car parking spaces for yacht owners from down south flying up on cheap flights to exploit low mooring fees. ”

Sunday’s protest was the first in a summer of fun on the beach. Thirty protestors picnicked on the beach which had been cordoned off to show the true scale of the development.Anyone wanting to get involved with the campaign can email tim01@tiscali.co.uk