Loch Lomond Flamingo Land resort set for approval

The Scottish authorities is acceptable to springiness support for a arguable vacation parkland improvement astatine Loch Lomond, overturning the determination of the nationalist parkland authority.

Theme parkland relation Flamingo Land wants to physique a £40m edifice called Lomond Banks, featuring a waterpark, monorail, edifice and restaurants.

The connection sparked protests and was initially rejected successful September by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park authority, who said it did not comply with biology and quality conservation policies.

But that was appealed to the Scottish authorities reporter, who has present said they mean to assistance support - taxable to a ineligible statement betwixt Flamingo Land and the park.

Development manager for Lomond Banks Jim Paterson said it was a "real milestone moment" which had been "a agelong clip successful the making".

But Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer, who was a long-standing professional of the plan, said the improvement would origin "irreversible damage" and the determination was an "anti-democratic outrage".

He added: "Their destructive plans were unanimously rejected by the National Park's board, opposed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the National Trust for Scotland, the Woodland Trust, the Park's adept readying officers and 155,000 radical who joined our Save Loch Lomond campaign.

"This greedy developer would not instrumentality nary for an reply and I americium shocked that authorities officials person enactment Flamingo Land's interests supra the request to support Loch Lomond.

"We are urgently considering our options for continuing this fight. I volition permission nary chromatic unturned successful the run to prevention Loch Lomond."

In an 80-page announcement of intention, the readying newsman said determination had been a "very significant" fig of objections to the proposal, with galore claiming the tract was unsuitable.

But helium said it did not struggle with the section improvement program for the area, oregon the rules acceptable retired successful the government's nationalist readying framework.

He said the tract could run safely contempt being wrong a flood hazard area, and besides said determination could beryllium "locally significant" benefits successful presumption of jobs and a boost to the economy.

However, the newsman said afloat support would lone beryllium granted if an statement could beryllium reached betwixt the developer and the parkland connected the "Lomond Promise".

This is simply a pledge by Flamingo Land to beforehand section businesses, supply jobs for section radical and suppliers, and make plans to support the situation and forestall anti-social behaviour.

There are 26 weeks for this statement to beryllium reached - and if it is not, the newsman volition reconsider whether to o.k. oregon cull the application.

Flamingo Land archetypal submitted plans for the tract successful 2018, but withdrew them the pursuing twelvemonth aft a question of antagonistic reaction.

It submitted updated plans successful 2020, insisting the connection would beryllium a "major measurement away" from its different resorts, including a taxable parkland and zoo successful Yorkshire.

But the Loch Lomond parkland authorization committee ruled that the updated strategy inactive conflicted with some determination and nationalist biology policies.

Stuart Pearce, "director of place" for the parkland authority, antecedently said the plans created "unacceptable risk" of flooding of the River Leven.

More than 174,000 radical signing a petition against the project.

And astatine a nationalist gathering past year, the Balloch and Haldane Community Council said it would "go against the precise volition of the radical who unrecorded successful the area".

Mr Paterson, from Lomond Banks, said helium was "delighted" with the determination from the Scottish authorities reporter.

"Our proposals person been informed by much than 2 years of affirmative engagement with the section assemblage and cardinal stakeholders," helium said.

"At the bosom of our plans is simply a committedness to sustainable investment, section jobs, and a semipermanent concern with the area, backed by our legally-binding Lomond Promise to guarantee the aboriginal prosperity of Balloch and beyond.

"As we look beyond today's decision, we stay committed to being a beardown and valued contributor to the section system and we look guardant to progressing with our proposals arsenic we present see elaborate planning."