22 November 2022
Parking chaos on Loch Lomondside and unless plans are changed there’s more to come.
By Bill Heaney
Green MSP Ross Greer has warned of parking chaos should Flamingo Land be given the go-ahead for a controversial tourist development planned for the banks of Loch Lomond.
Ross, whose online objection portal has contributed over 33,000 objections to the plans, recently submitted a detailed objection of his own, written by legal expert Ian Cowan.
As part of that submission, Cowan points out a number of inconsistencies in the application in a number of areas, one of which is parking provision.
The detail of the document contains at least one numerical error, but it clearly states the parking provision to be a massive 393 spaces.
However, the transport assessment submitted with the application sets out a method for calculating the number of parking places required for each part of the application – for example Woodland Lodges are said to require 1.5 spaces per lodge, and the Aparthotel requires 1 space for every 2.5 beds.
If this methodology is followed, Cowan estimates the true parking requirement to be 553 spaces.
Ross Greer, MSP for the West of Scotland, right, said: “This shambles is far more than a simple case of numbers not adding up. It shows that Flamingo Land’s plans will unquestionably worsen the existing traffic chaos around Balloch and up the west side of the Loch.
“It’s no wonder the vast majority of local people are saying no to the plans once again.”
He added: “There is so much more which could be done to encourage visitors to leave their cars at home and use public transport, an issue I am following up with the National Park, Scottish Government and others.
“Flamingo Land’s car-based development would be a huge step backwards for local traffic levels and only make the congestion and emissions far worse.
“People need to make their voice heard. There’s still time to lodge an objection, and readers can do that at www.greens.scot/FlamingoLand.”
The last piece of publicly owned land on the West Side of the River Leven in Balloch could be put to better use by delivering local facilities required by local people. If Flamingo land gets approval this land will be lost forever.