Plans for £10m expansion of Loch Tay Highland Lodge Park approved by councillors

A Perthshire holiday park has been granted permission for an £8-10m expansion and the creation of up to ten more full-time jobs as it seeks to meet a rising demand for UK staycations.

Laister Planning submitted an application on behalf of Loch Tay Highland Lodge Park, near Killin to both significantly expand and renovate its facilities.

Perth and Kinross Council’s (PKC) Planning and Placemaking Committee gave the plans the go-ahead at a meeting on Wednesday, February 11.

The 15.5 hectare site sites sites on the north banks of Loch Tay and south of the A827 and is part of Largo Leisure Parks.

There are currently 90 holiday accommodation plots, including 55 lodges, caravans and glamping units, as well as a number of bespoke Scandinavian lodges.

A planning application was submitted to Perth and Kinross Council to expand the number of accommodation units and relocate and reconfigure some units.

The plans included 62 holiday lodges, six glamping pods, four holiday cabins, a rangers classroom, eight stilted accommodation units, the conversion of the washroom and stables to create four holiday units, as well as renovating the reception and pier and creating better parking and footpaths, with a woodland walk.

Also included were seven additional staff accommodation units and relocating the existing staff accommodation unit.

The applicant’s planning statement said the plans were in response to a rise in demand and a higher expectation for the standard of holiday units.

It said: “Since Covid there has been a significant shift in holiday destination trends, with UK staycations now seen as a significantly more popular choice for holiday makers.

The park added: “This has resulted in an increase in general demand for holiday units at Loch Tay Highland Lodges for holiday use, and an increase in the quality and variety of holiday units.”

The applicant said its proposal would “meet the increasing demand and expectations of visitors for high quality accommodation in an attractive setting, sympathetic to the impressive natural environment without sacrificing the tranquil ambiance of the holiday park”.

There were 14 objections. Consultee Glen Lyon and Loch Tay Community Council objected for various reasons including concerns about the archaeological impact, the lack of active transport, parking, ecology, the environment and sewage.

Objector Brian Findlay and his wife have owned one of the original Scandinavian lodges since 1996.

Addressing councillors in the chambers, he said: “In principle, I’m not against the development of the site. There have been various developments over the years and I recognise it’s a commercial enterprise and the financial need to expand.”

He aired fears about “the scale of the propose development and its impact on the existing infrastructure and the safety and amenity of the park – in particular the road”.

Mr Findlay added: “This is not a small development. There are 93 existing properties with a bed capacity of 264. The proposed development will result in a new total of 149 larger properties with a bed capacity of just over 600.

“The potential number of cars on site will at least double.”

He expressed concern about the single track road within the park with “three blind corners, a blind summit and a hairpin bend” and “no defined passing places”, as well as flooding issues during heavy rain.

The applicant’s agent David Hancock said it was “a fantastic location”. He highlighted a “substantial and impressive” 40 per cent increase in woodland cover with the proposed planting and landscaping and said flooding issues would be resolved.

He said: “Flooding issues are severe at this present time and can be entirely eliminated by the proposal.”

Mr Hancock explained surface water – flowing down from the road – would be channelled and diverted and “stored if there’s too much water so it can be released at an appropriate time”.

Addressing road safety concerns, he said the development of a woodland walk and footpaths would “eliminate the need for people to walk on that road”.

Conservative councillor Bob Brawn moved to approve the proposal.

He said: “It looks, from the plan, that it’s well laid out. There are concerns, obviously about the road, and it seems that the agent is intending to work on that as best they can.”

Cllr Brawn asked that all the flood mitigation work be completed prior to anyone occupying a property. This was seconded by fellow Conservative councillor David Illingworth and unanimously agreed by the committee.