THE application to build a major development on the banks of Loch Lomond should be rejected, a key report has concluded.
Flamingo Land is looking to build an extensive holiday development on the southern banks of the loch, including two hotels, 100 self-catering lodges and 21 apartments in a refurbished Woodbank House, a monorail, and a waterpark, as well as restaurants, a pub and craft brewery, and a retail area.
The controversial plans, which focus on an area in Balloch, are set for a final decision from the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority board on September 16.
Ahead of that key date, the park’s director of place, Stuart Mearns, compiled a report which runs to a total of 188 pages and recommends that the application be rejected.
The report concludes that the proposal would result in a significant amount of development that would be in an area of flood risk where no policy exceptions support it.
It would also result in the net removal and clearance of trees and woodland and would not deliver the required significant biodiversity enhancements, the report said.
The recommendation to refuse the plans could be overturned by the park authority board, but if this happens then the report states that “a planning obligation and a suite of appropriate, enforceable conditions would be necessary”.
Regardless of the park board's decision, Scottish Government ministers could decide to "call in" the plans and make the final decision themselves.
The plans have attracted controversy, with the first iteration being withdrawn in 2019 after more than 60,000 people signed a Scottish Green petition calling for it to be scrapped.
The revised proposals also saw the Scottish Greens launch a petition, which has now gained more than 150,000 signatures.
However, Jim Paterson, the development director of the project, has called that petition a “sham” and insisted there is “simply no way to validate the numbers”.
Speaking after the report's publication, Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer called for the Flamingo Land plans to be shelved altogether.
"This devastating report is surely the end of the road for Flamingo Land’s ludicrous plans," he said.
"After dragging this sorry saga out for a decade, they now need to withdraw the proposal and leave Loch Lomond alone. Today is a huge victory for our campaign.
“For almost a decade I’ve worked with residents of Balloch to stop Flamingo Land from wrecking their community. This mega-resort would simply overwhelm the local area and scar one of Scotland’s most iconic natural landscapes. I’m incredibly proud that the detailed objection we submitted has clearly influenced this report and the recommendation to reject."
Paterson, speaking for the developers, said they were "extremely disappointed with the recommendation".
He went on: "We believe we have met all technical criteria set out for the site in the Local Development Plan and have exceeded requirements in terms of our legally binding promises to the local community.
“We remain committed to our plans, which we believe would bring about huge benefits to the Balloch community and beyond. These include £40million of sustainable investment and jobs shaped by the feedback from key stakeholders.
“We would urge the National Park board to consider the many merits this application presents.
“As this is a PPiP (Planning Permission in Principle), the next detailed planning stage gives ample opportunity to ensure all specific concerns relating to the development are met and acknowledged far in advance.”
Last week, Scottish Labour depute leader Jackie Baillie, the MSP for the Dumbarton constituency which takes in both the development site and much of the west of Loch Lomond, put in an objection to the plans.
In a letter to the park authority’s planning director, Baillie said: “I am not against development per se; I simply do not believe that this is the best development for this particular area. I believe we can do better than this.”
“Overall, the economic benefit from the development does not match the potential of the site,” she added.
Locals who spoke to The National said that they supported some aspects of the development – with the refurbishment of the ruined Woodbank House attracting strong support – while other parts of it – such as the monorail – were extremely unpopular.
