Plans to build a holiday complex on the banks of Loch Lomond have become the most objected to in Scottish planning history, according to the Scottish Green Party.
Flamingo Land’s latest proposals for new hotels, lodges, a waterpark and monorail have amassed 65,000 objections so far - more than the number laid against its previous application.
West Scotland Green MSP Ross Greer, who has led a campaign against the resort over the last seven years, said: “There can be no clearer sign for those considering this nature wrecking application that the public do not want it in our national park.
“The community at Balloch are overwhelmingly opposed to these plans and I know how much they appreciate the support from across the country.
“Flamingo Land’s owner promised that he would rip it up and move on if it was clear the development was not wanted by the community, so he should now make good on that promise and walk away.
“If the sheer embarrassment of having the most unpopular planning application in Scottish history isn’t enough, if the strength of community feeling against it isn’t enough, if the weight of expert opinion from the likes of the Woodland Trust and National Trust for Scotland isn’t enough to force Flamingo Land into walking away, then it is for the national park’s board to do the right thing and reject their plans entirely.”
In February, revised plans for Lomond Banks - the proposed £40m holiday park in Balloch - were submitted to Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
The resubmission follows ongoing community feedback throughout the planning application process and a recent request from the national park authority to ensure the proposals further meet the sustainable vision for the area at West Riverside and Woodbank House.
At the time, Flamingo Land stated that all the authority's feedback was considered, along with that from the local community and other stakeholders, with "significant amendments" made to support questions raised around the scale of development, biodiversity, traffic and parking.
The closing date for consultations and objections is today, 30 March.
Jim Paterson, development director for Lomond Banks, said: “Ross Greer has once again demonstrated that he is more interested in clickbait politics aimed at raising his own profile than having a constructive dialogue about what could be a major investment into both the local economy in Balloch and Scotland as a whole.
“He has relentlessly tried to interfere with a statutory planning process that doesn’t sit within his jurisdiction and - in a shameless attempt to get people to click his online petition - the majority of the claims he has made about our proposals are utterly false.
“There is simply no way to validate the numbers he is quoting and who the people who clicked his sham petition are or where they live.
“We have had genuine and productive engagements with the local community in Balloch over the past two years,“ Paterson continued. “We have spoken and listened to real people, local and national businesses, and other stakeholders about how we can create a sustainable tourist destination that is both fitting for the area and is sympathetic to its important location at the gateway of Loch Lomond.“
Flamingo Land pointed out that it has now legally promised to leave the ancient woodland at Drumkinnon untouched, and with the recent resubmission, it claims that the removal of ‘area 10’ means that the plans will bring about biodiversity net gain.
“Having listened to all voices within the area and amended our plans around community and stakeholder feedback accordingly, we believe that if successful, Lomond Banks will not only revitalise an area which holds such national importance, but provide numerous opportunities and investment so that the economic benefit for Scottish tourism and the local area will be felt and enjoyed for years to come,” Paterson concluded.
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