One Week To Go

On our consultation for our traffic management and action plans. Please feel free to comment on this site or email me at robert@ryanspets.fsnet.co.uk . You can also write to Business for Dumbarton c/o Ryans Pet Centre 157 High Street Dumbarton G82 1NZ. Hurry, the deadline is 30th April.

Keep Trade Local

That is the name of the new campaign by the Federation of Small Businesses. Small businesses in the UK employ 58 percent of the UK’s private sector workforce. Together they contribute half of UK GDP and employ more than 12 million. It is estimated that 50,000 small businesses could disappear by 2015 if positive action is not taken now. To sign the FSB petition,
CLICK HERE

The idea to keep trade local is one which the majority of people support in principal but more action is needed. It makes sense in terms of time, fuel and overall cost to shop local. The more money spent locally the more is re-invested in the local economy. This thought provoking short video from Friends of the Earth narrated by Alexei Sayle gives food for thought.

Traffic Management Proposal – Councillors’ Reactions

Business for Dumbarton welcomes the debate which has now opened up about the traffic management proposal we have put forward for consultation. SSP councillor Jim Bollan and independent George Black have pledged their conditional support on this site and this is encouraging. These two members would have an important role to play in the approval of any plan.

from left, Jim Bollan, George Black and David McBride.

I note also a quote from Labour’s councillor David McBride in this week’s Dumbarton Reporter. Councillor McBride asserts that the majority of people come to Dumbarton by bus and he is concerned that bus passengers would have to walk further under our plan. I would like to address these points. Eastbound we have proposed three bus stops which are all within easy reach of the High Street and the main stop would be in the vicinity of the proposed town square near the top of the Artizan Centre. Westbound we have proposed two stops, one of which is a few yards from the High Street (At Quay Street) and the other is actually on the High Street (The existing stop adjacent to the Bell Centre).

Councillor McBride is mistaken too to imply that a majority of town centre users arrive by bus. In the council’s own published figures (the Dumbarton Exhibition questionnaire in 2004 before the implementation of the current plan), 12% of people arrived by bus whilst 63% came by car. A total of 3% came by taxi. By adding the total of walkers, bus passengers, taxi users, train users and cyclists there is a total of 37%.