Loch Lomond public drinking ban

11 Mar 2011 01:38 PM

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has given Stirling Council permission to introduce a ban on the public consumption of alcohol on the east side of Loch Lomond.

The new measure makes it an offence for any person to consume alcohol liquor on the east side of the loch. The ban comes into operation on June 1.

Mr MacAskill said:

"Public drinking is often a nuisance and can greatly hamper the quality of life for residents in a particular area. Every local authority in Scotland now has alcohol byelaws in operation to tackle public drinking in designated places and that demonstrates how seriously local authorities are tackling the problem of reducing the nuisance and disorder commonly associated with public drinking.

"I will continue to support other councils that come forward with similar byelaw proposals for designated places."

Stirling Council have amended their current alcohol byelaws which makes it an offence for any person to consume alcohol liquor in a designated place to include the east side of Loch Lomond.

Following a successful pilot in the use of byelaws to prohibit drinking in designated parts of Galashiels, Motherwell and Dundee, other local authorities were invited in 1993 to submit proposals for similar byelaws under powers contained in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. All local authorities across Scotland have such byelaws, which cover more than 480 towns and villages, together with the built up areas within the city of Glasgow.

Byelaws to ban wild camping on the east side of Loch Lomond from March to October, approved by Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham, will also come into force from June 1.