Flamingo Land: Public still angry at 'Lomond Banks' plans

Balloch residents were on hand at Alexandria Parish Church in the village to voice their disapproval at plans by Yorkshire-based theme park firm Flamingo Land, in an event put together by campaign group Save Loch Lomond.

In total, 267 people turned out to voice their opinions on the controversial development.

The company, along with Scottish Enterprise - the commercial arm of the Scottish Government - have submitted an application to develop a swathe of the southern tip of the loch.

A 60-room hotel is proposed under the plans, along with a distillery, a water park, and more than 100 self-catering lodges.

The plans are to be decided on by the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority, which has yet to set a date for a meeting to decide on the application.

Throughout the entire two-hour session, no-one in the audience, and none of the experts on the panel, voiced their approval for the plans.

The application has become the “least popular in Scottish history” according to Green Party MSP Ross Greer, who started a petition against the plans which has garnered 56,000 signatures to date.

In his opening statement on Monday, Mr Greer said the decision was about more than economic development and environmental conservation - it was about the ownership of Scotland’s public land.

He told the meeting: “This is the most unpopular planning application in Scottish history, and I think that really demonstrates the strength of feeling not just in this community but across Scotland.

“We’ve got environmental and economic concerns about this, but there’s also a fundamental question about who owns Scotland.

“This is going to be built in a world-famous national park.

“Selling it off to a private developer means profits made as part of that development will be taken out of this community.

“This is a Yorkshire-based developer. This is not about community benefit.”

Mr Greer was also clear that any objections would have to be material to planning regulations of the authority to be able to make a difference.

Joining Mr Greer at the meeting were fellow MSPs Maurice Corry and Jackie Baillie, of the Conservatives and the Labour Party respectively.

West Dunbartonshire Councillors Jim Bollan of the Community Party and Sally Page of the Conservatives were also in attendance, along with Nick Kempe of Parkwatch Scotland.

Mr Bollan said the residents of the area who oppose the development should consider a more direct approach if they don’t get what they want.

He said: “When the establishment, which the National Park Authority is part of, tries to silence you and do what they want, it is your democratic right to take non-violent direct action against them.

“We’ve done it in the past, and hopefully it doesn’t come to it and we get what we want, but the community should consider that as an option.”

Ms Baillie said the land had been purchased by Scottish Enterprise for more than £2 milllion, before being sold to Flamingo Land for a mere £200,000.

She said: “Scottish Enterprise bought this land for over £2 million, they’re now selling it for just £200,000.

“The truth is, they’ve probably spent that same sum of money for all the site investigations and visits that they are funding alongside the developer.

“I’ve no doubt they will be given grants or loans at the end of the process, so it is fairly ridiculous that you as taxpayers are paying for a development that you potentially don’t want.”