The future of an under-threat pony therapy business looks to have been secured.
West Dunbartonshire is a step closer to buying Sheepfold, owned by Susan Dick, to develop a relief road to the former ExxonMobil site in Bowling which is subject to renovation work.
Concern had been raised by Ms Dick about what this would mean for the pony therapy business she runs, but the local authority has now granted a grazing lease at a site in Overtoun for £1 and will allow Ms Dick to transfer the burial ground she has for her late horses to an area near Littlemill.
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Once the deal has been finalised, the ExxonMobil site will be transformed into a mixed-use development which will include storage, distribution, industrial, business and office space.
Ms Dick now hopes the local authority's offer to purchase her land for £74,000 and help her relocate her ponies to a suitable location is “genuine”.
An update was brought before the most recent full council meeting, where questions were raised by Ms Dick, who still owns the land at Sheepfold about the future of her pony therapy business if West Dunbartonshire Council secures her land.
She asked the local authority to leave her the unused half of Sheepfold once the road is finished and lease her an area of land at Overtoun which would be most suitable for her ponies.
Ms Dick said: “One particular area at Overtoun is in your ownership and control, not leased to anyone and has been used for horses before so it’s entirely suitable, you’ve offered me a lease before of a much further away but unsuitable area so you’re not averse to leasing out your own land for horses – the area I mention is not part of any current lease to anyone and you’ve owned it since 1939.
“It has sat empty this whole time except for the 6 months or so that horses were kept there so this is a real possibility for it all to end amicably and swiftly. No lease needs to be broken to allow me to have it, it’s a win win for everyone.
“My ponies would stay there until Sheepfold is ready and if Sheepfold never materialises then I stay on with a permanent lease such as you have given to others nearby. So my question to you all is - why can’t a solution be reached such as the ones I have mentioned?”
Ms Dick was informed that all of the field would be required for the duration of the work and unforeseen circumstances may arise meaning Sheepfold may be unsuitable for her ponies in the future.
Councillor David McBride said: “The land in question, Sheepfold, may be used as a laydown area for construction work on neighbouring plots of land. On completion of these works we will undertake tests that will ascertain the suitability of the land for animal grazing.
“The council would be able to offer a grazing lease for a piece of land within the Dumbarton Common Good, at Overtoun which you yourself have identified at a cost of £1. Grazing lets would continue to be offered until the reinstatement of Sheepfold but no permanent lease is possible with Common Good land.”
Ms Dick advised the council that she was concerned about the lack of permanent lease on the new land and hopes the council’s new offer is genuine.
She said: “I really hope this offer of what can be done is actually done is genuine so my ponies can have a permanent home whether that be in Sheepfold or Overtoun.
“That way they will be able to live out the rest of their days in peace and we can expand our little therapy business.”
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