Controversial Flamingo Land plans set for rejection after 'devastating' National Park Authority report

The Lomond Banks development, by Yorkshire company Flamingo Land, would see a resort featuring a waterpark, monorail, 104 woodland lodges, two hotels, 372 car parking spaces, shops and restaurants built at Balloch, at the southern tip of the loch.

The operator claims the project, at West Riverside and Woodbank House in Balloch, would create hundreds of jobs and raise around £3m for the local economy. However, the proposals have sparked widespread opposition, with many believing the natural landscape should be preserved at all costs.

However, a report from the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority’s director of place outlines a recommendation to the National Park Authority Board that the application for planning permission in principle for the development be refused. The 188 page report, which will be considered for a final decision at a meeting on 16 September, said the proposal was “in conflict” with the site’s development capacity.

It said: “This report concludes that the proposal would result in a significant amount of development that would be in an area of flood risk where no policy exceptions support it. It would also result in the removal and clearance of trees and woodland without appropriate compensatory planting and would not deliver the required significant biodiversity enhancements that would support wider outcomes to tackle the nature and climate crisis as outlined in National Planning Framework 4 and the National Park Partnership Plan.

“Following a detailed assessment, the scale of the proposal overall is considered to be in conflict with the site’s capacity for development.”

It added: “There are no socio-economic reasons, or other benefits, that would outweigh these conclusions in circumstances where the National Park Authority must give priority to natural heritage considerations.”

Flamingo Land’s plans were redrawn in 2022 after a previous application from 2016 was scrapped.

At the weekend, campaigners delivered 10,000 posters opposing the plans.

Ross Greer, co-convenor of the Scottish Green Party, said the company should entirely withdraw the application. The party has previously warned the development would increase traffic in the area, including on the busy A82 road.

He said: “This devastating report is surely the end of the road for Flamingo Land’s ludicrous plans. After dragging this sorry saga out for a decade, they now need to withdraw the proposal and leave Loch Lomond alone. Today is a huge victory for our campaign.

“For almost a decade I’ve worked with residents of Balloch to stop Flamingo Land from wrecking their community. This mega-resort would simply overwhelm the local area and scar one of Scotland’s most iconic natural landscapes. I’m incredibly proud that the detailed objection we submitted has clearly influenced this report and the recommendation to reject.”

Jim Paterson, development director for Lomond Banks, said he was “extremely disappointed” with the recommendation for the development to be refused and insisted the plans would bring “huge benefits to the Balloch community and beyond”.

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

He added: “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.”  

Given the significant public interest in the application, the National Park Authority has opted to hold the hearing and board meeting at Lomond Parish Church in Balloch to ensure that as many observers as possible are able to attend.