A "RIDCULOUS" agreement allowing theme park operator Flamingo Land to exclusively buy land at Loch Lomond must end if plans for a mega resort are rejected next month, the Scottish Greens have insisted.
In a letter to the First Minister, MSP Ross Greer has called for an end to the agreement between Flamingo Land and Scottish Enterprise for the sale of public land on the banks of freshwater loch.
The Yorkshire-based theme park operator was granted the agreement, now a "conditional missive", in 2016 and it renewed in 2020 despite strong objections.
It means only Flamingo Land has exclusive rights to apply to develop the majority of the site currently in Scottish Enterprise’s ownership.
Flamingo Land’s proposal for a Balloch resort – which looks set to include a monorail, waterpark, hotel, and more than 100 holiday lodges – has received more than 145,000 objections via a campaign portal set up by the Scottish Greens.
If the plans are rejected, Greer has argued Flamingo Land should not have the ability to keep coming back with fresh applications which he said would “inflict misery” on residents.
The final decision on the case will take place on Monday, September 16.
Greer said: “For far too long residents in Balloch have lived with the constant threat of Flamingo Land hanging over their community. For a decade this saga has angered, frustrated and exhausted local people.
“A key reason for it going on this long is the ridiculous exclusive agreement Flamingo Land has, which has given them a grip on the area and prevented the community from bringing forward their own proposals.
“We cannot allow a theme park operator to hold one of Scotland’s most iconic sites to ransom in the way they have.
“The agreement should never have been renewed after their first application failed, not after Balloch residents and people across Scotland had made clear the strength of opposition to these destructive plans.
“It would be inappropriate for the First Minister to comment on a specific application, but his government can instruct Scottish Enterprise not to renew this agreement in the event that their current application is rejected.”
The development would also include nearly 400 car parking spaces and shops.
Organisations who have objected include the National Trust for Scotland, Woodland Trust and Ramblers Scotland and Balloch & Haldane Community Council.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has also issued a conditional objection based on flood risk.
Jim Paterson, development director for Lomond Banks, said: “Our exclusivity agreement with Scottish Enterprise follows on from a stringent, public tender process where our proposals for West Riverside were deemed to be the most feasible to bring to fruition and closely met the objectives and ambitions for the area in the Local Development Plan.
“Through real, positive dialogue with local residents, businesses, and stakeholders, we've shaped our plans to meet the area's needs and aspirations for job creation, economic growth, and inward investment, whilst being sympathetic to the area’s natural beauty.
“We fully expect that our agreement will continue as per the conditions set out in the contract. Our commitment to Balloch and West Riverside is unwavering, and we believe our proposed development is sustainable, environmentally sound, commercially viable and will be a catalyst for investment, generating opportunities for both the local community and Scottish tourism for years to come.”
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
