Villagers threaten direct action and call for Holyrood to intervene in tourist traffic 'nightmare'

Residents of Luss Village

Frustrated locals in the tiny village of Luss on Loch Lomondside, one of Scotland’s top visitor attractions, have erected their own road signs in a fight to have tourist traffic banned from their streets.

Campaigners say they have been waiting for years for the local authority to agree to impose restrictions on the huge number of cars that jam their picturesque streets every tourist season – and have lost all confidence in ‘incompetent and unaccountable’ officials.

They are now threatening a campaign of ‘direct action’, starting with the erection of five eight-foot signs asking motorists to refrain from parking in the village.

They are also calling for the Scottish Government at Holyrood to intervene in time to avoid a repeat of last summer’s ‘scenes of chaos’ within the village.

The village, home to 120 residents and made famous by the Scottish TV soap opera Take the High Road, welcomes over 750,000 visitors a year – ranking it as number nine in the list of the most-visited attractions in Scotland, ahead of Stirling Castle, the Falkirk Wheel and Edinburgh Zoo.

Locals say the essential character of the historic village is being destroyed thanks to the continually increasing influx of tourist traffic, which has already overwhelmed its Victorian infrastructure. They warn of serious road safety issues for pedestrians in the heart of the village, most of which is pavement-free, and a very significantly reduced quality of life for the village residents.

Residents say they are now determined to get urgently-needed improvements in place for 2020 and must take matters into their own hands. This week, they erected homemade signs on main routes into the village, saying: ‘No entry’ and ‘Please park in the main car park and keep our beautiful village traffic free for pedestrians’.

Residents say they have faced years of frustration at Argyll and Bute Council’s continuing failure to implement satisfactory traffic calming measures, accusing officials of failing to engage properly with community representatives.

Last year, after years of campaigning by the community and local elected representatives, Argyll and Bute Council responded by accepting in principle a blueprint drawn up by locals to manage tourist traffic but has since failed to act to further its implementation.

Peter Robertson, vice convenor of Luss and Arden Community Council, said: ‘People are at their wits’ end and have now resorted to putting up their own road signs because the council has failed to act.

‘This has been on the agenda for many years. We have to question the competence of the council to handle tourism.

‘Holyrood needs to start looking at this very, very seriously. Luss is an example of a problem that’s happening across the country. Luss is an international visitor attraction which happens to be home to 120 people. It has tiny roads with no pavements and its residents, including elderly people, children and parents with prams have to share the roads with three quarters of a million visitors and their cars each year.’

Luss resident Alison Walker said: ‘We feel the time has come to take matters into our own hands.

‘The villagers are seriously talking about blocking roads. The truth is Argyll and Bute Council are not competent to manage tourism in the west of Scotland. Holyrood talks endlessly about the importance of tourism to the Scottish economy and it’s time ministers stepped in to take control.’

Valerie Jones, who has a son at primary school in the village, said: ‘The traffic situation is frankly dangerous, particularly for children and elderly residents. Luss wants to continue to welcome people but the situation as it stands is not fair and it is not sustainable. We have reached crisis point. The community has been offering for years to build a new car park. Visitors would park in an area close to the heart of the village, but not block it up.’

Residents are calling on Argyll and Bute Council’s recently appointed chief executive Pippa Milne, who was previously responsible for roads, to take full responsibility and implement traffic calming measures that have been accepted in principle.

Luss and Arden Community Council has drawn up detailed plans to alleviate the traffic crisis in Luss, including a prohibition of driving order that would legally exclude all tourist cars from the village and be enforced by the police and a restrictive parking zone that would only allow residents to park. Within the heart of this Victorian village.

A new car 240-space car park would be built by Luss Estates Company in a field next to the Loch Lomond Arms Hotel, in the centre of the village. This would provide parking for tourist visitors within easy walking distance of all the main attractions.

Speed limits throughout the centre of the village would be reduced to 20mph and street ‘furniture’ including restricted width, speed tables - raised sections of road, with a ramp on both sides – would be installed, along with new signage at key locations.

Argyll and Bute Council has been under pressure for years to introduce traffic management measures in Luss – but prompted fury from residents when it said it could not ban non-residents from driving, or parking, on public roads.

Dave Pretswell, Convenor of Luss and Arden Community Council, said:

‘I do not believe Argyll and Bute Council have proven competent to properly manage the escalating growth of  tourism in West Loch Lomond – it’s all about increasing tourist footfall and growing council revenue. No benefit accrues to those worst affected -- there is absolutely no consideration of the deteriorating quality of life being visited on those who have to live in the middle of it all   Residents can’t leave their homes on a sunny summer day, emergency services can’t get in, deliveries to residents can’t get in and residents are frequently subject to abuse in trying to stop the worst of the parking chaos.

‘In late summer 2019, Pippa Milne accepted the community’s proposal for traffic management in Luss, and agreed to sponsor implementation of it for the 2020 season. 

This proposal was the product of considerable community effort and expenditure and undertaken in recognition of the urgent need for a solution in Luss.

‘Since receiving this in early September, the council has failed to take any action whatsoever, or even engage with us to explain when they might actually proceed with the necessary works.

‘The situation is now utterly untenable, and we urgently need immediate intervention from Holyrood to break the logjam and get our traffic scheme in place.’

The traffic management plan prepared by the community has been professionally audited and found to be significantly safer by design that a previously rejected Argyll and Bute Council  scheme. It also enjoys wide support from local residents, businesses and organisations including the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority, which recognises the need for the urgent implementation of a solution for the problems in Luss.

Labour MSP for Dumbarton Jackie Baillie said: ‘This whole proposal has been beset by delay after delay on the part of the council.

‘The residents of Luss face yet another season without proper traffic measures in place for the village. The village will be gridlocked as a result and that’s not good for local people and it’s not good for tourists.

‘It really is about time that the council worked much more closely with the local community to get this sorted. The council are responsible for taking forward traffic regulation orders but the community knows its own area best.

‘I think what the community has come up with is imaginative and recognises the value of tourists and visitors to Luss and the surrounding area, but also recognises the need to protect the local environment. I think their solution is spot on.’

Maurice Corry, the Conservative MSP for the West of Scotland, said: ‘It is appalling that the parking scenario is still ongoing after such a long time. The community along with Luss Estates have come up with a sensible proposal and the council continue to drag their heels.

‘These proposals take into consideration both visitors’ and residents’ needs, not only to make Luss less congested, but safer and more manageable for residents all year round.

‘I would urge the council to take a sensible and logical view on these proposals, and work with the community for the benefit of the people and the area.’