A campaigning MSP has vowed to defeat plans for a controversial holiday resort in Balloch “one last time.”
Leading a debate in the Scottish Parliament last week, Green MSP for the West of Scotland Ross Greer said he believes that his seven-year fight to stop Flamingo Land’s controversial plans for Balloch will soon be won.
Last month developers behind the plans for a £40million “world class sustainable tourism destination” named Lomond Banks formally submitted their revised plans.
Flamingo Land, which is behind the development, say they have made “significant amendments” to original proposals for the land at West Riverside, which were withdrawn in 2019 after more than 60,000 public objections.
The latest revision of the plans would see 104 lodges, two hotels, a waterpark, monorail, up to 21 apartments, a brewery, a pub, a restaurant, a boathouse and 372 parking spaces built on land at West Riverside.
Addressing Holyrood, Mr Greer outlined the long and “exhausting” history of the company’s bid to get the go-ahead for the development, with initial plans revealed back in 2016.
He congratulated community campaigners on their success so far, but warned of the damage that would be caused if the latest version of the plans are given the go-ahead.
Mr Greer said: “43,000 thousand objections have been lodged to this latest application. Balloch residents are opposed by a margin of three to one. The Woodland Trust and Ramblers Scotland have joined us in opposing it once again. The National Trust for Scotland is now also against the plans.
“We are all motivated by a deep love for Loch Lomond and a passionate desire to protect it. We have beaten Flamingo Land at every turn these last seven years. And we are ready to do so again, one last time. We are going to save Loch Lomond.
“Our community campaign roundly defeated their first application. We’ve forced major revisions to their second. And we will absolutely see off this equally unwelcome third attempt.”
Jim Paterson, development director for Lomond Banks, said: “We are a strong advocate for following the proper democratic process and our commitment to shaping our plans by engaging extensively with the local community, local business and other key stakeholders has been paramount throughout this application journey.
“A number of local businesses and organisations have confirmed their support for the project, so it is evident that there is an appetite amongst the local community to see these plans move forward.
“It is not for Ross Greer to decide on the merits of this planning application, this decision continues to sit with Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park as the planning authority and the statutory consultees.
“Mr Greer has continued to interfere in a legitimate planning process and offer up a skewed and distorted viewpoint on the reality of the proposals we have put forward. Needless to say, some of his presentation of the ‘facts’ during his parliamentary debate were grossly inaccurate at best.”
