Green saved for village

The gift of Lamlash green to the village is indeed good news this week.

It ends months of uncertainty as to what would happen to the green and the foreshore if nature was left to take its course.

The green in many ways is what makes Lamlash unique on the island. As far back as the early 19th century, Lamlash was being described as having the finest harbour in the west of Scotland.

Little has changed to alter that view. It has always been a safe haven for shipping, a vital wartime shelter and, more recently, a marine protected area. So it was deeply concerning when it emerged 18 months ago that the foreshore and the green could be lost to the sea.

Following a detailed consultants’ report, North Ayrshire Council decided it was not willing to spend vast sums of money to save the shorefront – including the village green – as it was owned by Arran Estates.

Instead, it opted for a ‘do minimum’ approach which would have involved removing the crumbling gabion baskets and allowing coastal erosion, which could have seen the sprawling green lost in anything from 10 to 30 years.

That prospect sparked an angry public reaction and a call to arms by the Lamlash Improvements group.

It is to be complimented for taking the bull by the horns in refusing to accept this decision as a fait accompli. It went searching for solutions and, when the possibility arose of Lady Jean handing over the land as a gift, it was there pressing and encouraging the council to act.

After months of talking, that process has all but reached a conclusion and the community can collectively breathe a sight of review. The green has been saved for generations to come to use and enjoy, and an integral part of the Lamlash landscape will remain intact.

Of course the fight against the sea is far from over, but for today we say thanks to Lady Jean for helping to save Lamlash green.