Flamingo Land Lomond Banks weaponised as political football

The development, planned for the south end of Loch Lomond, has been dubbed the ‘most objected to’ in Scotland’s history due to the more than 150,000 objections that have been lodged through a petition portal created by the Scottish Greens and Save Loch Lomond.

It is also frequently referred to as Flamingo Land Loch Lomond, because the Yorkshire theme park operator is its parent company. 

Lomond Banks' development director, Jim Paterson, said: “Whilst this absolutely isn’t the end of the road for our application, we can’t help but think the decision by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park authority this week, to recommend for refusal, has been heavily influenced by the constant misinformation that has been peddled by the various activists, parties and campaign groups.

“We are businesspeople, not politicians, and have deliberately not indulged in this relentless rhetoric for the last two and half years, since we resubmitted our plans. We have stuck to the facts and truth surrounding our proposals, but this development has been weaponised as a political football.”

His comments come as tensions are rising in the run-up to a decision on the development by Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Park Authority board on September 16.

Mr Paterson said: “Labelled a ‘mega resort’ from the get-go and claims that it is the ‘most objected to development in Scottish history’ is based on an online Green Party petition that does not ask for proof of address or prevent multiple clicks.

Lomond Banks artistic impression (Image: Archive)

“Unfortunately, it feels like, so far, the click-bait antics have been favoured and the merits and benefits of this development in terms of sustainability, much-needed job creation and tens of millions of pounds of investment have been lost.”

The proposal consists of an apartment-hotel, budget hotel, a total of up to 104 self-catering holiday lodges of various sizes and locations, the conversion of derelict Woodbank House and its buildings into self catering holiday properties, a “waterpark/leisure pool/spa”, restaurants, retail areas, a craft brewery visitor attraction, external activity areas, a monorail and picnic and barbecue areas.

Mr Paterson said: “When you drill down to what this development is – it’s a sympathetic mix of hotels and woodland lodges and associated leisure facilities, utilising an area of West Riverside which has wrongly been quoted as ‘the last piece of land in public ownership around the banks of Loch Lomond’.

He added that there would be “no theme parks, no flamingos, but instead, a sustainable world-class destination that will help support Scotland’s tourism industry and job market for many years to come".

"Please be reminded, West Riverside was on the market and openly available for sale long before we became involved."

This is the second application by a Flamingo Land subsidiary at the site. The first was withdrawn in 2019 after the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park Authority issued a report which recommended its rejection.

Mr Stevenson said: “Let us be clear, every decision we’ve taken throughout this process has been carefully considered to try and balance the needs and requirements of the local community.

"We are all proud Scots who wouldn’t do anything to jeopardise our beautiful country. We have listened to the community, taken on board recommendations, significantly shaped and adjusted our plans and made legally binding promises to them that we have every intention of fulfilling.

“We remain committed to seeing the process through every step of the way. Ahead of the Board site visit and determination hearing on September 16, all we’re asking is to please see this development for what it actually is and not what it’s been hyped up to be.”

Site of planned development (Image: Archive)

Scottish Greens MSP for West Scotland Ross Greer said: “This is desperate stuff from Flamingo Land. Rather than address the serious concerns raised by the National Park’s own expert planning officers, they have once again decided to attack the Scottish Greens.

"We’re proud that our campaign to save Loch Lomond has got under their skin, but we’re far prouder of how the community in Balloch have come together over the last decade to stop these destructive mega-resort plans.

“150,000 people have made it clear that they want to save Loch Lomond from Flamingo Land. We’ve been joined in this campaign by the Woodland Trust, National Trust, Ramblers Scotland, Balloch & Haldane Community Council and many other organisations.

"Duplicate objections which come in via the Scottish Greens’ portal are removed, but this application is so spectacularly unpopular that even if you threw out half of the genuine responses, it would still be by far the most unpopular planning application ever.

“If Flamingo Land had any dignity, they would withdraw these daft plans and leave Loch Lomond in peace.”

Balloch and Haldane Community Council, who have not only come out against Lomond Banks, but also spearheaded the setting up of a community development trust with a view to developing the land, said: "Let us be clear in our response to Mr Paterson, development director, of Lomond Banks who may not consider the recommended refusal of the Lomond Banks planning application to be the end of the road, it should be.

"His co-director Gordon Gibb previously stated to the public in September 2016, in an article in the Herald, 'To be frank, if our plans are not welcomed by most of the people in Scotland then we will not proceed further but I do not trust the results of the petition and we have not yet been given the chance to fully explain our plans.'

"Eight years have passed and Lomond Banks have had ample opportunity to explain their plans and to be clear the public fully understand the implications of allowing this private development to proceed. Eight years of growing objections, eight years of campaigning and eight years where Mr Gibb has refused to listen to the people of Scotland.

"Inevitably with opposition to a planning application of this magnitude growing daily the elected representatives and MSPs are rightly engaged to represent the views and interests of their constituents and of course the people of Scotland.

"Had the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) completed a STID (Strategic Tourist Initiative Design Study) for the village of Balloch it would most certainly have identified the Lomond Banks proposal as too large for the location. A development of this size undoubtedly has the ability to overwhelm and dominate Balloch.

"The land at Balloch identified for the Lomond Banks development is currently a much-loved green space used freely by locals and visitors alike. This is indeed the last piece of public land that is easily accessible by public transport, allowing those who arrive to access the loch on foot.

"Lomond Banks claim their proposal to be a ‘sustainable world-class destination’ Loch Lomond in its current unadulterated beauty is already a ‘sustainable world-class destination’, attracting millions of visitors every year.

"BHCC reiterate our commitment to continue the campaign to have this land transferred into public ownership to protect, preserve and regenerate for the local community, the local economy and future generations. We Do Not Inherit the Earth from Our Ancestors; We Borrow It from Our Children."