Balloch Proposals

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Balloch Village Square officially opened

We were pleased to join with West Dunbartonshire Council this month to celebrate the official opening of the recently completed Village Square project in Balloch.

The project was first identified in the Balloch charrette in 2016 where members of the community recognised an opportunity to make more of the space in front of the Moss O’ Balloch as an active centre of the village.

A series of consultation events were held during the development of the project to consider improvement options for the square. We would like to thank everyone who took part in all these consultation events as the feedback and comments that were received really helped to shape the final design of the project.

Works began in January 2019 and delivered a new and improved civic space, built with quality materials including granite setts and Caithness stone, along with new ‘street furniture’ such as raised tables and bicycle storage to create a sense of place, now befitting activities such as seasonal markets or performances.

The works also delivered:

  • Wider sections of paving in key locations to enhance the space and provide opportunities for additional seating areas;
  • A series of traffic calming measures including a narrower carriage way to discourage illegal parking; and
  • Upgrading of footways leading from the project area to the entrance to Balloch Country Park and to the Balloch Bridge.
  • A key feature of the improved space is the reinstated fountain commemorating a famous Balloch boat hirer. The feature, which is dedicated to Henry Thomas Lynn, was returned following feedback from community members including Mr Lynn’s great granddaughter Isobel Martin during the consultation events.

    Also within the project are inscriptions that were created by local school children from Balloch Primary and St Kessogs. The two schools worked together to produce a number of phrases which are etched into the pavement including ‘Be Brilliant at Balloch, the Bonniest place to Be.’

    The family of Mr Lynn and pupils from the two schools also joined the official opening, along with representatives from West Dunbartonshire Council, the National Park Authority and Balloch and Haldane Community Council.

    For further information, please email livepark@lochlomond-trossachs.org

    Posted on 22nd September 2019

    by Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority

    View Signage Proposals for Balloch Village

    Working in partnership with West Dunbartonshire Council and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, we have developed design proposals for new signage along Balloch Road. This has been developed from feedback we received during the Balloch Village Plans (Street Design) consultation that was completed in June 2017.

    To view these design proposals, please download a copy of our Signage Information Booklet .

    You can also view and provide feedback on the proposals from Monday 5 March to Tuesday 20 March by:

  • Viewing the proposals outside the Tourist Information Centre, Balloch Train Station and at the Moss O’Balloch. Feedback forms will be available within the Tourist Information Centre, National Park Headquarters and Balloch Library for anyone wishing to comment.
  • Attending a drop in event on Tuesday 20 March at the National Park Headquarters. Members of the public will be able to drop in anytime between 5pm and 8pm to view the proposals and provide feedback. There will also be an opportunity to register your interest in the Community Artwork piece, get an update on the overall public realm improvement project and wider ‘Live in Balloch’ Charrette actions.
  • For more information, please email street.design@sustrans.org.uk or phone 0131 346 1384

    Posted on 27th February 2018

    by Emily

    Signage proposals to go on display in Balloch from Monday 5th March

    Residents and stakeholders in Balloch are being asked to feedback on signage proposals from Monday 5th March 2018 as part of wider public realm improvements to the village.

    Building on the recent Balloch Village Plans (Street Design) project, Sustrans Scotland is working in partnership with West Dunbartonshire Council and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park to propose three types of signage throughout the village:

  • Gateways to create a sense of place and provide landmark entrances to either side of the village;
  • Information signage to provide direction within the village; and
  • Re-routing the National Cycle Network along Balloch Road to Balloch Country Park.
  • A fourth proposal is a piece of Community Artwork in the station area which could be designed in collaboration with the local community and the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. At this stage, interested parties are being asked to register their interest.

    Members of the public will be able to view and provide feedback on the signage proposals from Monday 5 March to Tuesday 20 March by:

  • Viewing the proposals outside the Tourist Information Centre, Balloch Train Station and at the Moss O’Balloch. Feedback forms will be available within the Tourist Information Centre, National Park Headquarters and Balloch Library for anyone wishing to comment;
  • Viewing the proposals on the project website: https://ballochproposals.commonplace.is/news
  • Attending a drop in event on Tuesday 20 March at the National Park Headquarters. Members of the public will be able to drop in anytime between 5pm and 8pm to view the proposals and provide feedback. There will also be an opportunity to register your interest in the Community Artwork piece, get an update on the overall public realm improvement project and wider ‘Live in Balloch’ Charrette actions.
  • For more information, please email street.design@sustrans.org.uk or phone 0131 346 1384

    Posted on 16th February 2018

    by Emily

    Outline designs handed over to West Dunbartonshire Council

    On Wednesday evening an event was held in the National Park Headquarters in Balloch where the outline designs for the Balloch Street Design project were presented to an audience of over 50 people.

    This community-led street design process, which has been looking at improving areas around the station and in the town centre, is a partnership between Sustrans Scotland, West Dunbartonshire Council and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority. The outline designs have been guided and influenced by the valuable and constructive feedback received from the public consultation events held over the last few months.

    During the evening, staff from Sustrans and West Dunbartonshire Council provided an update on the progress in the designs following consultation and on the timelines and process moving forward. The Council will develop detailed designs for delivery over the next few years.

    Photo credit: Gary Ellis Photography

    They are aiming for the first of the projects to be constructed early in 2018 and provided an indicative project delivery timeline below:

    STAGE 1: Design development (June – Dec 2017)

  • Village Square and Balloch Rd West detailed design June – Sept 2017
  • Procurement of works Oct – Dec 2017
  • Station Square developed design June – Dec 2017
  • STAGE 2: Village Square and Balloch Rd West delivery (Jan – April 2018)

    STAGE 3: Station Square technical design (Jan – April 2018)

    STAGE 4: Station Square delivery (Nov 2018 – Mar 2019)

    Audience members were given the opportunity to raise any questions they had on the street design plans with several questions posed around parking and the potential impact the street design project could have on this.

    Photo credit: Gary Ellis Photography

    Posted on 23rd June 2017

    by Emily

    Design Feedback Stage

    Over the past few months, we have asked for your opinion on various ways to improve Balloch station and village centre and have listened carefully to all that you’ve had to say, whether that be at events, meetings or online. We’ve taken all of this information on board to develop design proposals and we’d now like to share these proposals with you. You can view and comment anytime between Wednesday 19 April and Wednesday 17 May 2017 using the following methods:

    Public Locations

    There will be a public display of the design proposals outside the Tourist Information Centre and Moss O’Balloch Park – look out for the lamp post banners!

    Copies of the designs and feedback forms will also be available inside the Tourist Information Centre, National Park Headquarters and Balloch Library to allow you to submit your views into a secure comment box.*

    Online

    The proposals can also be viewed on the project website, Commonplace, where comments can be submitted and viewed anonymously by others: https://ballochproposals.commonplace.is/

    Drop-in event

    Come along to the National Park Headquarters, Carrochan Road, Balloch, G83 8EG on Wednesday 26 April anytime between 3pm and 8pm to view, comment on and talk through the design proposals with members of the project team. Refreshments will be on offer.

    Please provide your feedback through the above methods by Wednesday 17 May 2017. We are always on hand to provide you with further information or answer any questions you may have. Please contact Emily Davie, Sustrans Scotland by email: emily.davie@sustrans.org.uk .

    *Opening Hours:

    Tourist Information Centre: Monday to Sunday (10am-5pm)

    National Park Headquarters: Monday to Friday (8.30am-5pm)

    Balloch Library: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (9.30am-4.55pm); Tuesday (1.30pm-7.55pm); Saturday (9.30am-12.55pm)

    Posted on 13th April 2017

    by Emily