Group wants probe into aquarium licence

Nov 3 2005 By TINA KEMP, Lennox Herald

AN animal welfare group has called for an investigation into the granting of a zoo licence for a new aquarium at Loch Lomond Shores.

Animal Concern claims that one of the three West Dunbartonshire councillors involved in the decision failed to declare a conflict of interest.

Now it wants Ross Finnie, minister for rural affairs, to have the licence application — approved by the council’s licensing committee in September — reviewed by an independent body.

The campaign group called for Mr Finnie’s intervention after reading recently released minutes of the meeting at which the licence for the attraction, due to open at Drumkinnon Tower next summer, was given the go ahead.

Among those making the decision was Councillor Connie O’Sullivan, who is a member of the board of Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire.

Animal Concern says that the councillor should have declared an interest as SED has a “vested interest” in seeing the license granted as it is spending £3.5 million of public money converting the tower for the aquarium attraction.

Mr Finnie has been asked to call in the application for review by an independent body and he has also been asked to take responsibility for zoo licences away from local authorities.

John Robins of Animal Concern said: “Scottish Enterprise are desperate to wash their hands of the Drumkinnon Tower fiasco and need the zoo license to do so. One of their directors was one of only three councillors responsible for granting the licence. Not only did Councillor O’Sullivan fail to declare her conflict of interest, she voted in favour of the application.”

In a letter to Mr Finnie, Mr Robins says he is “extremely concerned” over what happened at the meeting and adds: “Without a zoo licence, the enterprise company’s expensive plans would have been ruined.”

He adds: “Under these circumstances I ask you to call in this zoo licence application for consideration by a truly unbiased body with no vested interest in the proposals.”

Mr Robins has also written to committee convener Councillor Douglas McAllister to express his concern.

A spokesman for West Dunbartonshire Council said: “Councillor O’Sullivan is not on the board of the national park, so there is no conflict of interest.”