Lomond Banks officials have reacted to the news that their plans have been rejected.

Members of the development attended the meeting yesterday where their fate lay in the decision of 14 Park Authority Board members.

Speaking outside Lomond Parish church after a five-hour debate the developers looked weary as they now faced going back to square one.

Community Liason for the project, Fiona Robertson, revealed she is 'disappointed but not surprised' at the news.

She said: "We are disappointed but we are not entirely surprised. I did think that the board would uphold their officer's recommendation.

"We still believe that there's a really good project there, with lots of benefits for the area and we just need to consider what is next.

"But there is no decision made on what happens next."

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Fiona and another representative of Lomond Banks were the first to speak to the board where they faced questions about key issues.

The developers attempted to fight off concerns by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency's objection on the basis of flooding as well as a disagreement over how much woodland would be lost and the impact on the local business.

The pair in the hot seat tried to convince the crowd that their economic impact was worth the scale of the project and that they were committed to the needs of the local people.

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The 'Lomond Promise'- a document which the developers insisted would protect Loch Lomond- would have come into effect if the plans were approved and would have made commitments such as keeping the tourist information centre open and collaborating with businesses.

A statement by Jim Paterson, Development Director for Lomond Banks, said: “We are disappointed but not surprised as we anticipated this decision following the case officer’s earlier recommendation.

“We believe we have a really strong case as this is a responsible investment that will create many opportunities for the area and Scotland as a whole. We remain fully committed to the process.”