A FORMAL planning application to redevelop an abandoned former torpedo range in Arrochar into residential plots and holiday lodges could be submitted later this year.

The site at the head of Loch Long was advertised for sale in April last year and has since been snapped up by Ardnagal Estates Ltd.

Early plans have now been revealed for the formation of 20 residential plots, along with the erection of 40 holiday lodges, 20 glamping pods, a ‘bunkhouse’, cafe/bar, marina and associated amenities.

Following a public meeting at the Three Villages Hall at the end of November, that gave attendees the opportunity to meet the new owners and learn about the proposals for the site, Paisley-based property development company Framed Estates have now submitted a proposal of application notice (PAN) to the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority.

However, further public consultations are required before an official application for planning permission can be lodged, and, according to bosses at the National Park, such development plans cannot be submitted before March 14, 2022.

The latest proposals come a decade after a bid to build a 130-bedroom hotel with 16 residential units and 36 apartments on the disused land as the Ben Arthur Development Company aimed to create a five-star resort.

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A chandlery, helipad, 100-berth marina and refurbished pier facility were also included in the blueprints - but the grand scheme never came to fruition and planning permission for the project lapsed in 2017.

The site - which was operated as a Royal Navy torpedo testing range from 1912 to 1986 - has lain derelict for decades and has become popular with urban explorers in the passing years.

Three years ago Argyll and Bute Council officials said there was “significant need to make a concerted effort to try and stimulate the redevelopment potential of the site, with a longer term view to seeing the area improved and the wider economic growth potential boosted”.

The land was put on the market last year without a specific asking price, though commercial property website Realla, which marketed the land, said there “remains strong support for the site to be redeveloped”.

Ardnagal Estates was incorporated in October with Ian Henderson and Peter Wylie listed as directors, while the Framed Estates portfolio includes work on the A-listed Thomas Coats Memorial Church, St Mirren Football Club’s stadium, and the creation of a cultural, heritage and events village in Greenock centred around the restoration of The Falls of Clyde ship.