Loch Lomond Flamingo Land resort rejected by park authority

Proposals to build a £40m holiday resort on the banks of Loch Lomond have been rejected, bringing an end to the six-year-long battle between developers and local decision-makers.

The company behind Flamingo Land in England had planned to build more than 100 lodges, two hotels, a waterpark, monorail, and 372 parking spaces, as well as shops and staff accommodation.

They said the Lomond Banks development would bring around 200 jobs to the area and contribute millions to the local economy while improving transport links.

But the plans proved divisive, with a Scottish Greens petition against the project receiving more than 155,000 signatures.

The party said that made it “the most unpopular planning application in Scottish history”.

Responding to the announcement from the National Park board, West of Scotland Green MSP Ross Greer said: “This is a huge victory for my Balloch constituents and for our long-running campaign to save Loch Lomond. Residents have been united against this daft plan from the start, stepping up to defend one of Scotland’s iconic landscapes. After almost a decade, this is the result the community and campaigners deserve.

“I am delighted that the Park board have rejected Flamingo Land’s destructive plans. Every one of the 155,000 people who objected to this application played an important role in securing today’s rejection and I am grateful to them all.

“After this defeat, I’m calling on Flamingo Land to drop their plans for good and end this decade-long saga. After years of stress and anxiety for local residents, they must commit to no third attempt. Loch Lomond does not need a mega-resort and whatever tweaks they make to these daft plans, they will never go ahead.

“All eyes must now turn to the Scottish Government agency who own most of the site and who granted Flamingo Land an exclusive contract in 2016, renewed in 2020. They must rip up this agreement and end Flamingo Land’s grip on the area.

“I am proud as the area’s Green MSP to have worked with the community and supporters from across Scotland to finally save Loch Lomond.”

🎉We did it! We have saved Loch Lomond.

❌At a meeting of the National Park board the proposal for a mega-resort in Balloch was unanimously rejected.

💚Thank you to everyone who has supported this campaign. #SaveLochLomond pic.twitter.com/7613TWMUmy
— Scottish Greens (@scottishgreens) September 16, 2024

Since announcing plans for the Lomond Plans project in 2018, Flamingo Land Limited has faced strong opposition.

West Dunbartonshire Council chose not to oppose the plans in April, to the anger of some in the community.

But the final decision lies with the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority Board, who voted to reject on Monday.

That was expected after the planning authority responsible for the national park recommended earlier this month that the development should not go ahead.

Its report cited concerns over flood risks and the impact on the area’s surrounding environment, inducing the removal of woodland areas.

Watch
Controversial £40m Flamingo Land plan ‘should not go ahead’, report finds

The Scottish Greens said that if the authority voted to reject the plans – the second time Lomond Banks has been knocked back in the past five years – it should “mark the end” of attempts to build the development.

Green MSP Ross Greer said: “It is staggering that Flamingo Land has pushed things this far.

“Over 150,000 people and many respected organisations have made clear that their daft plans are not welcome, but they have refused to listen.

“The local community and people across Scotland have made their feelings known.

“I hope that at long last, today will mark the end of the road for Flamingo Land and a destructive proposal that Loch Lomond neither wants or needs.

“The loch is one of the most celebrated and unique landscapes anywhere in Scotland.

“It has been the backdrop of so many happy memories for people around the world.

“For Flamingo Land to scar it with this garish resort would be the worst kind of cultural and environmental vandalism.”

Responding to the recommendation that the park should not be built, Jim Paterson, development director for Lomond Banks which has proposed the theme park, said: “We are extremely disappointed with the recommendation made by the case officer.

“We believe we have met all technical criteria set out for the site in the local development plan and have exceeded requirements in terms of our legally binding promises to the local community.

“We remain committed to our plans, which we believe would bring about huge benefits to the Balloch community and beyond.

“These include £40m of sustainable investment and jobs shaped by the feedback from key stakeholders.”

He added: “We would urge the National Park board to consider the many merits this application presents.

“As this is a PPiP (planning permission in principle), the next detailed planning stage gives ample opportunity to ensure all specific concerns relating to the development are met and acknowledged far in advance.”

Dr Heather Reid, Convener of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority Board, said: “Today (Monday 16th September) the National Park Authority Board unanimously refused a planning application for a major tourism development at West Riverside and Woodbank House in Balloch.

“This decision was taken following a thorough, robust and transparent process. That process included a site visit, careful consideration of the planning assessment report, and of consultation responses from local and national public bodies, other statutory consultees, and representations from members of the public.

“The Board heard from speakers both in support of and in objection to the proposal at a hearing heard in public in Balloch today.

“The application considered by the Board today included proposals for a significant amount of development in an area of flood risk. It was concluded that no exceptions to national policy would apply which would allow the principle of new built development to be acceptable in these areas. As such, SEPA had objected to the application.

“National Planning Framework 4 gives increased weight to the global climate emergency and the nature crisis. It ensures they are recognised as a priority in all plans and decisions.

“The Board found that the proposal also failed to satisfy the NPF4 requirement to deliver significant biodiversity enhancement.

“The development would have resulted in larger areas of woodland loss than set out by the applicant, including some areas of ancient woodland, and the proposed compensation falls significantly short of national policy requirements. This would not contribute positively to creating nature rich places or restoring local nature networks.

“Finally, it was concluded that the scale of the proposal overall was in conflict with the site’s capacity for development.

“The National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 states that if it appears that there is a conflict between the first aim – conservation and enhancement of the natural and cultural heritage of the area – and the other National Park aims, greater weight must be given to the first aim.

“The role and purpose of National Parks is changing. It is recognised that National Parks can provide leadership for nature recovery and significantly contribute to becoming a Net Zero Nation.

“As such, our National Park Partnership Plan states that future development and infrastructure within the National Park should support tackling the climate emergency and maximise opportunities to deliver or enable nature restoration.

“Ultimately the Board felt that this proposed development would not do that.

“The application was refused because it does not comply with Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4, the Local Development Plan for the National Park or the National Park Partnership Plan.”