Jackie Baillie MSP, Pam Gosal MSP, Ross Greer MSP, and Cllr Jim Bollan, Community Party.
By Bill Heaney
Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie has vowed to stand with the community to battle on against the controversial Flamingo Land Loch Lomond development.
And she has been joined by Pam Gosal, the West of Scotland conservative MSP, Green list MSP Ross Greer and Community Party councillor Jim Bollan.
Jackie Baillie accused the Scottish Government of presiding over an “affront to democracy” after specialist planners announced the intention to approve the Lomond Banks resort site.
The controversial £43.5m development – conceived by the operators of Yorkshire-based Flamingo Land theme park – was earlier refused by the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority.
However, Flamingo Land bosses lodged an appeal which has been considered by the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals division.
It emerged last week that the Planning Reporter intended to grant permission in principle – subject to 49 planning conditions and a binding legal agreement between the operator and the National Park.
Locals are largely opposed to the development, which it is feared will exacerbate problems with roads infrastructure in the area and blight tourism jewel in the crown of the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomondside.
An emergency meeting organised by Balloch and Haldane Community Council – which objected to the development – took place in Balloch’s St Kessog’s Church Hall on Friday.
The constituency Labour MSP had earlier backed a Holyrood motion to force Scottish Ministers to call in the application for scrutiny, in the face of staunch public opposition.
Baillie, also Deputy Leader of Scottish Labour, blasted the Scottish Government, saying: “Let me say, in all my 25 years in Parliament, this is the most outrageous decision I have ever seen.
“This is a complete and absolute affront to democracy.
“The Community Council was against it, the entirety of the National Park board were against it – and just remember, these people were appointed by the Government – so they are ignoring the advice of the people they appoint.
Meeting where the Loch Lomond National Park board said no to plans for Flamingo Land. Picture by Bill Heaney
“These are the experts and actually, experts with decades of planning experience in the National Park, were against it.
“Everybody was against it.”
She also accused the Scottish Government of being “sneaky” and “on manoevres” and of hiding behind the decision taken by an “unelected” and “unaccountable” mandarin.
The furious politician added: “SEPA – a government agency – the highly-respected Woodland Trust and the National Trust for Scotland were all against these proposals, as were most of the community.
“There have been smaller, less controversial planning applications which have been called in by Scottish Ministers.
“I will battle with the community to make the Scottish Government sit up and listen.”
Baillie, who has been the Dumbarton constituency MSP for the past 25 years, urged the community to put “political pressure” on the Scottish Government to overturn the bid.