That this House congratulates the volunteers of the Loch Leven Sea Savers, a citizen science group based in Ballachulish, on the success of their community-led campaign to have the waters of Loch Leven, at the Rive Coe and the Ballachulish Peninsula, designated as official bathing water by the Scottish Government; applauds the considerable effort and dedication shown by campaigners, which included individuals, environmental groups, business and local elected representatives, in preparing a comprehensive and well-evidenced submission, one which highlighted the unique circumstances at Loch Leven and which persuaded the Scottish Government to recognises the exceptional strength of the community's case, despite the site falling outside the usual required criteria of it having at least 150 regular bathers; appreciates the flexibility shown by the Scottish Government in taking into account the availability of suitable local facilities, including public toilets, parking, public transport links, first aid provision, including a defibrillator, shops, bins, and recycling facilities at the bathing site; hopes that in the future, all relevant authorities will also show similar understanding and give due weight to rural context, community wellbeing, and public support when considering the designation of bathing waters.
