The ugly leadership centre and wedding venue would have been out of place on Loch Lomondside.
The Hunter Foundation, set up by philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter, was given planning permission to build Scotland’s first dedicated leadership training centre on the grounds of Ross Priory, near Gartocharn on Loch Lomondside, but the idea has now been abandoned.
By Bill Heaney
Controversial plans for an architecturally ugly leadership centre and weekend wedding venue on the banks of Loch Lomond have been scrapped following pressure from concerned ginger groups.
The Hunter Foundation, set up by philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter, was given the green light to build Scotland’s first dedicated leadership training centre on the grounds of Ross Priory near Gartocharn.
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park’s controversial planning and access committee approved the bid in November 2020, which followed 43 objections.
Concerns ranged from harm to wildlife and protected species, insufficient parking, and claims the building was of inappropriate design to its surroundings.
Kilmaronock Community Council, Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust and the Vale of Leven District Angling Club all raised concerns.
Conservative councillor Sally Page who is running against SNP leader Jonathan McColl for re-election in the Lomond Ward on Thursday, May 5, was in the vanguard of objectors.
This is a significant victory for her which has been announced in the middle of the election campaign.
Sir Tom Hunter and Tory councillor Sally Page.
Mega rich philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter cannot have been expected to have been sent away with his tail between his legs.
In a letter to the national park’s director, Stuart Mearns, the Hunter organisation’s CEO Ewan Hunter says the organisation now plans to set up the facility at Blair Castle in Pitlochry instead.
In the letter, on the park’s website, he explains that the development timescales do not fit in with the foundation’s aims.
He wrote: “The timescales on this have been, to be frank, incredibly onerous not, I’d hasten to add due to your assessing the application, more the system and processes involved being far too time consuming.
“The timing of this development has been slow and the pandemic delayed things even further and that gave us pause to reflect on this development and the absolute, and increased, need for the values-based leadership we had aimed to house at the Hunter Global Leadership Centre (HGLC).
“To that end, we determined we would source an existing facility and revise plans for the HGLC and Ross Priory.
The Ross Priory centre would have had stunning views of Loch Lomond.
“We have acquired Blair Castle and Estate and already under way in delivering leadership programmes there – were we to wait for the HGLC to be constructed, we’d have at least two or three more years before taking ownership.
“That timescale simply does not work for the THF.”