A business owner has hit out over nightmare flooding at Alexandria’s Lomond Industrial Estate which he says is forcing customers away and putting children at risk.
Paul Morris, 44, who owns Loch Lomond Marine Sales at Strone Road, is calling on West Dunbartonshire Council to fix the problem.
The water is so deep, Paul has to pick up customers unable to reach the premises in his 4x4 – and he can even launch his own boats on the floodwater.
He said: “This happens every year. I have had customers who have turned up to pick up parts or look at boats, and they just couldn’t get through. They are turning round and disappearing off. I am losing business because of it.
“With other customers, I am having to drive through in my 4x4 to get them across the water.
“I am not having that footfall of people who turn up to buy stuff.
“I have raised it with the council and I had a call back where they said they would have someone come out the following day, but no one showed up. The other businesses here complain about it every year and nothing ever gets done. It is like it is too much work for them. They aren’t interested. They know it will eventually go away, and they can wash their hands of it until the next year when it returns.“
However, losing money isn’t Paul’s main concern, but rather the risk posed to children, which he warned could be fatal.
Freezing temperatures turned some of the water to ice, with Paul saying he and other businesses are forced to smash the ice before wading through the water to get to their units.
He added: “We came down last week, and it was totally iced over, so we had to actually break through the ice to even get into the unit. The front gates of the eight units can’t be closed because the pathway is frozen and underwater.
“A large section of water is obviously frozen, but there is a small section over the embankment, which is a small stream that is about six to eight feet deep.
“There will be kids who will come down to mess about on the ice and potentially only get wet feet, but if they step a few feet one way, then they could end up in a lot of danger. It could be very deceiving.
“It is really concerning when you look at what happened to the four kids who died on the lake in Solihull.”
A spokesperson for West Dunbartonshire Council said: “The council is instructing a clearance of the lade. This will increase the quantity of water that can be held in storage in heavy rain.
“We would ask residents not to fly tip or leave rubbish in this area as this blocks the area from draining.”
