Flamingo Land plans will ‘overwhelm’ Balloch, says angry councillor
The Flamingo Land plan for Balloch on Loch Lomondside.
By Bill Heaney
This is the land at Drumkinnon Woods that Flamingo Land want to buy.
The size of it is bigger than the main area of the existing village of Balloch on Loch Lomondside.
It crosses the River Leven near Balloch Pier and extends north west past Lomond Shores and up as far as Woodbank House.
The Friends of Drumkinnon Woods, who posted the map showing the extent of the proposed purchase from Scottish Enterprise, and for which planning permission in principle has been applied, said: “This is an obscene amount of land to [to be taken over] by just one company!
“There will be restricted access. Think about it folks, once this land is gone it’s gone forever.”
Campaigner Margaret Reid said: “There is no law of trespass in Scotland so in reality they cannot stop the public from walking in that area. Freedom to walk [is important].
“It is totally outrageous for this amount of land to be sold to one person who will profit from this massive park. I am 100% against it.”
STOP PRESS:
An Alexandria man, aged 36, has been arrested in connection with the felling of 118 trees without permission at Drumkinnon Woods on Loch Lomondside. Police have revealed that the man will be charged with malicious mischief and that a report of the incident sent from them to the Procurator Fiscal at Dumbarton with a view to the man appearing before Dumbarton Sheriff Court. Detectives are continuing with the hunt to track down others involved in the incident.
