AN appeal over rejected plans to develop on the banks of Loch Lomond is now "all but certain", the Greens have said.
It comes after the Scottish Government’s enterprise agency extended the exclusive contract with Flamingo Land related to land on the southern edge of Loch Lomond.
The extension, which Green MSP Ross Greer labelled “bitterly disappointing”, will pave the way for the developers to appeal a decision to block their plans to build on the famous Scottish lochside.
Scottish Enterprise said the extension had been made to allow the planning process "to run to its conclusion", also suggesting an appeal is expected.
Flamingo Land had been seeking permission to build a resort campus at the site in Balloch, which would have included restaurants, a waterpark, two hotels, around 100 woodland lodges, shops and, perhaps most contentiously, a monorail.
Speaking to locals, The National found widespread support for some aspects of the plans – such as the redevelopment of the ruined Woodbank Hotel – but equally widespread opposition to others.
In September, the board of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park rejected the plans in their entirety.
Lomond Banks, the firm through which Flamingo Land is looking to develop the area, could appeal to the Scottish Government ministers if it wants to see the decision overturned.
The Scottish Greens said they had “received notice today from Scottish Enterprise that they will extend Flamingo Land’s exclusive contract to the land alongside the River Leven and southern shore of Loch Lomond, which makes up a majority of the proposed site” – paving the developers’ way to an appeal.
Greer, who has spearheaded a petition against the plans which took more than 150,000 signatures, said: “This ridiculous company just doesn't know when to give up, and it is bitterly disappointing that the Scottish Government are helping them in their attempts to ruin this special corner of Loch Lomond.
“Extending Flamingo Land’s exclusive contract for the land means that an appeal is now all but certain, despite the overwhelming reasons for its rejection in the first place.
“Our campaign to Save Loch Lomond lodged a record 155,000 objections to these daft and destructive mega-resort plans. We were joined by experts from the likes of the Woodland Trust, Ramblers and most importantly, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Not only that, the National Park’s own planning officers carefully considered the application and agreed that it must be rejected on the basis of both flood risk and damage to the natural environment.
“Flamingo Land has spent a decade trying to force a mega-resort on Balloch. We beat them in 2019 and then again earlier this year. This greedy company just cannot take no for an answer. I am incredibly frustrated that the Scottish Government is enabling this saga through an exclusive contract which should have been terminated years ago. There are absolutely no grounds to approve the application on appeal.”
Lomond Banks declined to comment.
A Scottish Enterprise spokesperson said: “Scotland’s statutory planning process is designed to ensure that economic, environmental and community interests are all taken into account when an application is considered.
“That is why we opted to make any sale of the land at West Riverside subject to planning permission, ensuring that the full range of evidence and views are fully considered.
“We believe this process should be allowed to run to its conclusion. Scottish Enterprise will therefore extend the Conditional Missive with the developer to allow any planning appeal to be considered.
“We continue our engagement with Balloch and Haldane Community Council around their plans to see how we can support them while this process is ongoing.”
