Controversial plans for a leadership centre on the banks of Loch Lomond have been scrapped in a dramatic U-turn.
The Hunter Foundation, set up by philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter, was given the green light to build Scotland’s first dedicated leadership training centre on the grounds of Ross Priory near Gartocharn.
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park’s planning and access committee approved the bid in November 2020, which followed 43 objections.
Concerns ranged from harm to wildlife and protected species, insufficient parking, and claims the building was of inappropriate design to its surroundings.
Kilmaronock Community Council, Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust and the Vale of Leven District Angling Club all raised concerns.
But in a letter to the national park’s director of place, Stuart Mearns, the organisation’s CEO Ewan Hunter says the organisation now plans to set up the facility at Blair Castle in Pitlochry instead.
In the letter, on the park’s website, he explains that the development timescales do not fit in with the foundation’s aims.
He wrote: “The timescales on this have been, to be frank, incredibly onerous not, I’d hasten to add due to your assessing the application, more the system and processes involved being far too time consuming.
“The timing of this development has been slow and the pandemic delayed things even further and that gave us pause to reflect on this development and the absolute, and increased, need for the values-based leadership we had aimed to house at the Hunter Global Leadership Centre (HGLC).
“To that end, we determined we would source an existing facility and revise plans for the HGLC and Ross Priory.
“We have acquired Blair Castle and Estate and already under way in delivering leadership programmes there - were we to wait for the HGLC to be constructed, we’d have at least two or three more years before taking ownership.
“That timescale simply does not work for the THF.”
The development at the Strathclyde University owned site was set to cater to small groups of up to 25 teachers and trainees and contain three five-bedroom and one four-bedroom modern accommodation pods.
Mr Hunter says the organisation began discussions with the university in 2018 and appointed an architect the following year, before applying for planning permission in March 2020.
Gartocharn councillor Sally Page went on to call on the Scottish Government to rule for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be carried out which was rejected.
