Public meeting highlights significant support for Friends of King’s Cross

Hosted by the group, Friends of King’s Cross, the meeting was to bolster support and share information about Forestry and Land Scotland’s potential plans, and to help find solutions to what it calls the “industrialisation of King’s Cross”.

Currently, FLS have lodged a planning application to change the use, from residential to office accommodation, on its 70 acre/ 30 hectare property at Whitefield Farm which includes an area bordering the sea where a timber transfer station was previously proposed in 2022.

Campaigners believe that the application is the first step in accomplishing previous plans when FLS purchased the rural property and announced plans to create a timber stackyard and export facilities on the shore at King’s Cross.

Friends of King’s Cross believe that the existing timber transfer station at Market Road in Brodick is able to accommodate the 60,000 tonnes of timber which is shipped off the island each year. It also believes that the industrialised area on Market Road is also better suited for industry of this type and that an expansion of the site – and its output – could be increased, if this is required, owing to the availability of land at the existing site.

Campaigners and organisers of the public meeting, Helena Paul and Donald McNicol, both of King’s Cross, insist that they are not NIMBYs (not in my backyard) but have concerns about heavy industry taking place in the “unsuitable” scenic area, the visual impact of the development, and particularly to noise concerns owing to the reverberating effect off the nearby Holy Isle.

At the public meeting held on Sunday, Helena said that the group hopes to work constructively with FLS to find a solution, however, following a recent meeting with FLS she felt that the groups’ concerns were listened to, but to no avail.

Helena, Donald and supporters believe that the recent planning application is an incremental development which is part of larger, previously proposed, plans to build a one kilometre road across farmlands to the shoreline, a timber stackyard in the fields on the top of the hill, and a new t-shaped pier in Lamlash Bay.

FLS deputy regional manager, Colin Binnie, previously insisted that the planning application is for the modernising of the farmhouse and the creation of an office and welfare facilities for FLS workers, and that FLS has no fixed plans for a timber export pier at Kings Cross. However, he said that FLS “is considering and exploring a range of options to find the best sustainable long-term timber transport solution for Arran as a whole.”

Friends of King’s Cross countered this by saying that FoI requests – available on its website at www.friendsofkingscross.co.uk – indicate that FLS has well advanced plans for a major development at King’s Cross.

Following a short presentation at the well-attended meeting, attendees were given the chance to have their say on how they feel about potential development at King’s Cross and how it would affect the area. Among them was Arran councillor, Charles Currie who later told the Banner: “I was happy to attend the packed meeting of residents of the Kings Cross area on Sunday and listen to their concerns about the plans for Whitefield Farm and the possibility of wood extraction through the farm land and Lamlash bay.

“Their research into the proposals was extensive and highlighted their fears of disruption to the quiet community from industrial level operations and noise pollution if the forestry extraction was imposed on Kings Cross and I share their concern.”

A representative of the Buddhist community from the Centre for World Peace and Health on Holy Isle also voiced her opposition to any development on its neighbouring shore, saying that the noise would infringe on their fundamental human right to practise their religion without undue interference. Silence is a crucial element in Buddhist meditation practices and is a key element in the faith which promotes quieting the mind and cultivating a state of stillness.

FLS has committed to a public consultation on its plans in early autumn this year, while Friends of King’s Cross have reiterated that any development not in keeping with, nor appropriate for the rural setting of King’s Cross, will be met with vociferous public opposition.