PLANS for the controversial Flamingo Land Lomond Banks development have been rejected.
The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority met on Monday to decide on the plans, which included two hotels and more than 100 self-catering lodges as well as a waterpark and other amenities on the southernmost point of Loch Lomond.
A similar project was rejected by the authority in 2019 but was re-submitted by Yorkshire-based theme park operator Flamingo Land in 2022.
The meeting heard that only 69 people had written in support of the proposed park since the plans first came under examination in May 2022.
Overall, 174,946 objections were received – the majority through a campaign led by the Scottish Green Party, with 834 made to the park authority.
Before the meeting at Lomond Parish Church started, protest group Save Loch Lomond gathered outside to voice their opposition. The meeting was also tense, with those speaking for the plans heckled at regular intervals.
The proposals were rejected unanimously by the national park's board.
Dr Heather Reid, the board's convener, said the plans had ultimately been refused because they did not deliver significant biodiversity enhancement, were in an area prone to flood risk and would result in a larger loss of woodland area - including ancient woodland - than was originally set out in the application.
The board also concluded that the scale of the proposal overall was "in conflict with the site's capacity for development".
Reid said: "The role and purpose of national parks is changing. It is recognised that national parks can provide leadership for nature recovery and significantly contribute to becoming a net zero nation.
“As such, our National Park Partnership Plan states that future development and infrastructure within the National Park should support tackling the climate emergency and maximise opportunities to deliver or enable nature restoration.
“Ultimately the board felt that this proposed development would not do that.
“The application was refused because it does not comply with Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4, the Local Development Plan for the National Park or the National Park Partnership Plan.”
'Huge victory for campaign to save Loch Lomond'
The Scottish Greens have led a campaign against the development, including calling for the exclusive deal between Flamingo Land and Scottish Enterprise to develop the site to be scrapped if the plans are rejected.
Greens MSP Ross Greer, a vocal critic throughout the campaign, also spoke out against the proposal during the meeting, and particularly the "scale" of the plans.
"Their own impact assessment states that less than half of the jobs on this site would be full-time," he said.
"On transport, the developers' own assessment predicts more than 250 cars per hour at peak time. We can all understand the impact that would have for local residents and visitors."
Following the announcement, Greer (above) said: “This is a huge victory for my Balloch constituents and for our long-running campaign to save Loch Lomond.
“Residents have been united against this daft plan from the start, stepping up to defend one of Scotland's iconic landscapes. After almost a decade, this is the result the community and campaigners deserve.
“Every one of the 155,000 people who objected to this application played an important role in securing today’s rejection and I am grateful to them all."
He called on Flamingo Land to "drop their plans for good" and commit not to lodge a third attempt for planning permission.
“After this defeat, I’m calling on Flamingo Land to drop their plans for good and end this decade-long saga. After years of stress and anxiety for local residents, they must commit to no third attempt.
"Loch Lomond does not need a mega-resort and whatever tweaks they make to these daft plans, they will never go ahead," he added.
