Ross Greer joined campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament to oppose Flamingo Land’s resort plan. Above: Protesters urged the Scottish Government to overturn approval for the Flaming Land development at Loch Lomond.
By Lucy Ashton
Protesters urged on by Green MSP Ross Greer have gathered outside the Scottish Parliament n Edinburgh today to demand that ministers overtun a decision to allow a ‘mega resort’ to be built in Balloch on the banks of Loch Lomond.
MSP Ross Greer described the refusal to overturn the decision to green light Flamingo Land’s £40 million tourist destination close to Balloch village as ‘devastating’.
The planning application was initially rejected by the Loch Lomond National Park authority in September last year after thousands of public objections were received.
The Loch Lomond Park Authority meeting where it was decided to say No to Flamingoland’s plan for Balloch. Picture by Bill Heaney
But that decision was overturned by the Scottish Government Reporter, subject to a legal agreement between Flamingo Land and park bosses, reports the Daily Record.
Flanked by protesters outside the Scottish Parliament, the Green MSP said: “There are simply no reasons to accept this application. It would be a scar on the natural landscape of Loch Lomond, it would be devastating for the local community, and for 10 years we have successfully made that case.
“And now, at the very end of this process, we have a Government official overturning local democracy, overturning a decision made on an incredible weight of evidence against the application.
“We now have ministers of a Scottish Government that claims to stand up for Scotland deciding that, in this case, they simply will not do so, they will allow this destructive mega resort to go ahead.
“We say, absolutely not. We can still save Loch Lomond, Government ministers still have the opportunity to recall and reject that decision.”
He added: “Appallingly, when I asked the Scottish Government planning minister if they would do that, they emphatically said no. Absolutely shameful. Scottish Government ministers not willing to stand up for Scotland’s world famous natural environment.”
Greer, who has led protests against the development, called on SNP ministers to intervene in the matter – following a precedent established in 2008 when US President Trump was permitted to build a golf course in Aberdeenshire despite being initially refused permission by the local council.
Flamingo Land have attempted to gain planning permission for their resort at Balloch for the past decade, with the first application failing in 2019.
Their latest bid was unanimously rejected by the board of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park at a public hearing in September of last year.
This followed a campaign led by Ross Greer which collected over 155,000 individual objections to the plans, as well as objections from the National Trust for Scotland, Woodland Trust, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the local community council and the Park’s own expert planning officers.
Flamingo Land lodged an appeal against this decision shortly before Christmas, seeking to have the rejection overturned by the Scottish Government and secure consent for their plans, which include two hotels, a waterpark, over 370 car parking spaces, a hundred woodland lodges, monorail, and more.
Jim Paterson, development director for Lomond Banks, previously described the planning victory a “real milestone moment for the Lomond Banks vision, and has been a long time in the making”.
He added: “Our proposals have been informed by more than two years of positive engagement with the local community and key stakeholders.
“At the heart of our plans is a commitment to sustainable investment, local jobs, and a long-term partnership with the area, backed by our legally binding Lomond Promise to ensure the future prosperity of Balloch and beyond.”