It was a first-round knockout for the Flamingo Land owners as their Lomond Banks development was refused planning permission by the National Park. Having been forced to withdraw their previous application, this time around they fought on and lost in spectacular fashion.

Instead of trying to address environmental and flood risk concerns raised by SEPA, they tried to rubbish them, which it turns out doesn’t go down too well with planning officials. The recommendation to refuse from the planning officer was the nail in the coffin for Lomond Banks’ application, and inevitably the planning board unanimously supported the recommendation to refuse planning permission.

The community, (some) councillors such as myself, MSPs and various groups have fought long and hard for this day. The fight continues as the developer will no doubt appeal the decision to Scottish Ministers, and I will be lobbying for the planning board’s decision to refuse to be upheld.

To those calling for something to be built on the site and decrying objectors to Lomond Banks, I say this. Yes, I would welcome investment in the area, and on this site, but it must be the right development, not just anything that comes forward.

This site, like it or not, has become a well-used public space and plays host to a wide variety of native plant and animal species, including the endangered red squirrel.

There are also significant flooding concerns, and any development has to address those, not just for the safety and security of the site itself, but to ensure that residents and businesses on the riverbanks further downstream don’t experience flooding as a result of flood prevention measures protecting the development site.

In other news, after a month of hiatus, West Dunbartonshire Council has an administration again.

Council leader cllr Martin Rooney, speaking on behalf of the re-appointed Labour administration, made a pledge to work with the SNP, Community Party and independent councillors to govern the council in a more collegiate way, and I welcome this approach.

Leading a council as a minority administration isn’t easy, but while it can be frustrating having to compromise to get an agreement, it usually results in better decision-making.

At a time when the council’s budget is deplorably inadequate, we need ideas from around the table to protect services and jobs. I hope we can move forward as a council with more consensus and less entrenched party politics when it comes to the big decisions that we have to make collectively.