THE threat of an objection from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) should sink controversial plans for a holiday resort on the banks of Loch Lomond, according to the Scottish Greens.
The proposed Lomond Banks development would see the construction of two hotels, up to 127 self-catering cottages, a waterpark and a monorail on a site near the village of Balloch in West Dunbartonshire.
Initial plans for the resort were withdrawn by theme park company Flamingo Land in 2019 after a petition calling for the development to be scrapped garnered more than 60,000 signatures.
However, a revised planning proposal was submitted in 2022.
Yet despite attempts earlier this year to further amend this revised proposal in order to alleviate concerns expressed by the National Park Authority, SEPA has said it will object to the plans unless changes are made to mitigate the serious flood risks in the area.
Two areas within the proposed development will have to be modified if an objection is to be avoided.
“If these changes cannot be accommodated, then please consider this representation as an objection", said SEPA.
Bosses at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park requested answers on 16 separate issues it had with the proposals from contractors Stantec earlier this year, including concerns about the project’s potential impact on water quality and ancient woodlands.
More than 72,000 people have signed a renewed petition calling on the development to be scrapped, with Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer claiming that SEPA’s threat to object could signal an end to the proposal.
He said: “SEPA’s objection is a devastating rebuke to Flamingo Land and underlines just how badly thought through their destructive proposal is.
“The community have already made their overwhelming opposition known, but that hasn’t stopped Flamingo Land from coming back with this second, equally unwelcome plan.
“With objections in from bodies like the National Trust for Scotland and now from our country’s environmental protection agency, Flamingo Land must finally acknowledge that their plans are well and truly sunk.
“Loch Lomond is one of the jewels in Scotland's crown. An exclusive mega resort right on the edge of the Loch would be a scar on an iconic landscape, not to mention push it further out of reach for ordinary people.
“This latest intervention from SEPA should give the Park Authority the confidence they need to reject the application without delay and hopefully bring an end to this years-long saga.”
The development director for Lomond Banks, Jim Paterson, said they will continue to work with SEPA to find a solution.
“We have been liaising with SEPA for some time with regards to our adoption of National Planning Framework 4, and are working through the flood risk assessment based on meeting the criteria set out in the Agency’s policy 22 section A.
“This stipulates that they can support redevelopment of previously used sites in built-up areas where the Local Development Plan has identified the need to bring these into positive use – which our proposals for Lomond Banks clearly demonstrate.
“We will continue to work with SEPA to reach a workable conclusion, satisfactory to all parties, and to ensure we fulfil our promise for delivering the sustainable commitments intended here.”
