Flamingo Land's Loch Lomond proposals set to be approved after appeal
Planning permission was unanimously rejected by the board members of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Planning Authority in September last year.
The developer is looking to create holiday lodges, two hotels, 372 car parking spaces, shops, a monorail and a waterpark in £40 million proposals.
Planning permission will be subject to a legal agreement being reached and a final decision will be made on the matter is targeted for November 27 this year.
The decision has been heavily criticised by Green MSP Ross Greer, who was a key figure in the protests against the development, while the Balloch and Haldane Community Council insist they will continue to fight the proposals too.
The plans had been rejected by the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs board last year (Image: Colin Mearns) Mr Greer said: 'This is an anti-democratic outrage. I cannot believe that Flamingo Land's destructive and immensely unpopular mega-resort is being given the go-ahead by Government officials. It was the most unpopular planning application in Scottish history and will cause irreversible damage to the world-famous local environment at Loch Lomond.
'Their destructive plans were unanimously rejected by the National Park's board, opposed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the National Trust for Scotland, the Woodland Trust, the Park's expert planning officers and 155,000 people who joined our Save Loch Lomond campaign.
'This greedy developer would not take no for an answer and I am shocked that Government officials have put Flamingo Land's interests above the need to protect Loch Lomond.
'We are urgently considering our options for continuing this fight. I will leave no stone unturned in the campaign to save Loch Lomond.'
A Balloch and Haldane Community Council spokesperson said: 'This is not just a bad planning decision - it is a fundamental failure of democracy and policy. This decision rides roughshod over the principles of community empowerment, environmental protection, and democratic accountability.
'Our community, through proper statutory channels, objected in strong and clear terms. The will of the people has been ignored.
'We are not backing down. The gloves are off. This is our community, our land, and our future - and we will fight for it.'
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Jim Paterson, Development Director for Lomond Banks, said: 'This is a real milestone moment for the Lomond Banks vision, and has been a long time in the making.
'Our proposals have been informed by more than two years of positive engagement with the local community and key stakeholders. At the heart of our plans is a commitment to sustainable investment, local jobs, and a long-term partnership with the area, backed by our legally binding Lomond Promise to ensure the future prosperity of Balloch and beyond.
'We are delighted by the decision made by the Scottish Government reporter today. As we look beyond today's decision, we remain committed to being a strong and valued contributor to the local economy and we look forward to progressing with our proposals as we now consider detailed planning.'
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