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.
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.