Dumbarton constituency Labour MSP Dame Jackie Baillie and First Minister John Swinney.
By Bill Heaney
MSP Jackie Baillie has expressed “disappointment” after it was revealed that the Scottish Government will grant Flamingo Land’s appeal against the decision to veto its controversial Balloch development plan.
Dame Jackie’s weak reaction will astonish thousands of local people who have over the past ten years signed the largest public planning petition ever against this development and fought tooth and nail against it.
They thought they had won after the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park board threw it out last year.
But the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division announced that it would allow the theme park operator’s appeal against Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority’s unanimous decision to reject the Lomond Banks complex.
The final decision, however, will be delayed pending legal talks, but furious West Dunbartonshire residents concerned about planning blight and impassable traffic on the A82 Glasgow-Loch Lomondside road will be praying that it fails.
The Planning Reporter to the Scottish Government, revealed in his report that he is minded to allow the appeal and grant permission for the tourism and leisure site to go ahead.
The intention is to grant permission in principle once legal agreement has been reached on elements of the site.
What these elements are have not been revealed at this stage.
In his decision, the Reporter highlighted the unanimous rejection of the proposal delivered by the Park Authority.
But he raised no objection to the principle of developing the site for the reasons proposed and pointed out that it is supported by the Local Development Plan.
It also acknowledged that development at the site “is a matter of great concern to those who have objected to the proposal” and pointed out the “significant” number of objectors – many of whom consider the site unsuitable for such a development and would favour it being left alone or used for “community purposes”.
However, he concluded that the 18.9 hectare site “would occupy land that has been allocated for the very form of development that is now proposed” and noted this as a “significant factor in its favour”.
Dame Jackie Baillie, who objected to the plans on behalf of the community, said: “I am deeply disappointed at the outcome of this appeal against a unanimous decision taken earlier by Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority.
“I call on the SNP Government to explain the planning grounds on which this appeal was approved against the wishes of the majority of the local community.”
She added: “If permission is granted by the government and there is nothing further that can be done, then we now need to work to make sure we get the very best development possible from Flamingo Land.”
That statement will be seen by many as acceptance of the decision and an indication of surrender to the proposal.
Dame Jackie said: “I have long said that staff employed within operations at the site must be paid the Real Living Wage, we need to ensure Flamingo Land works with local businesses in their supply chain and we need to ensure that roads concerns are fully addressed.”
The MSP had earlier called for First Minister John Swinney to step in and terminate landowner Scottish Enterprise’s deal linking Flamingo Land with the site in the wake of the National Park’s decision to block the complex last year.
I think the voters will have something to say come the Holyrood election next year.
Labour are already struggling badly across Scotland and hemorrhaging votes big time. Indeed they came third in this week’s by-election in Clydebank. As for the SNP, they are just up to their necks in this. This is giving away the family silver Margaret Thatcher style. Flamingo Land have pursued this doggedly for 10 years causing huge public expense and against huge public opposition.
There will be political payback for this and like the brutal policy of pursuing people with penalties and summary warrants for minor slips in council tax payments, these issues will run and run. People will not forget.
Gordon Gibb and Flamingo Land may have gotten all this lochside land for an undisclosed sum, anecdotally understood to be a peppercorn sum, but the people should know. And that should now be a pressing question for the government. Why is the disposal of some 38 acres of public land a commercial secret?
Openness, transparency and democracy are not words to be used here.
At a very basic level, just look at the existing congestion/traffic jams on the A82. Roads to and from Luss, Helensburgh, Alexandria, Balloch, Stoneymullen, Lomondgate, Bellsmyre, Bowling roundabouts and so on are horrendous with cars, vans and lorries constantly gridlocked . Emergency services have real problems bypassing the traffic. Also, If housing is built on Dalmuir Golf Club site, more traffic problems! Flamingo Land will only add to these existing problems and visitors will be sitting for hours in their cars waiting for traffic to move! Balloch park is also full of louts, underage drinking, noise, fights, litter etc and Flamingo Land will only add to these problems. Jackie Baillie’s response to this development is shameful.
The point that you make Mary about traffic is an absolutely important one.
The A82 cannot cope with the traffic volumes at present. It is way under capacity big time and the queues at peak time, on what is an national arterial road will only get worse, much much worse. Transport Scotland know that, the council know that, everyone knows that.
What however is less widely known is that the A82 is a death trap. The amount of fatalities, serious injuries and accidents on the section of the A82 between Arden and Milton is absolutely appalling. But this is hidden from view with the authorities agglomerating the death and injury statistics over the much longer A82. But the authorities know the death rates, and suppress them for political reasons to keep the public in the dark.
Increased traffic on an already under capacity road will only add to the congestion, death and injury, and pity help Balloch village centre, the Stirling Road, and the surrounding area as huge traffic volumes flows to the new hotels, restaurants, and leisure attractions.
The Scottish Government are exposed on this. They should be tackled on it. But of course as we know with this decision, due process does not work. The democratic system is a sham. Our system is rotten, money, big money talks, and ordinary folks are but rats in a trap.