A £40 million development proposal on the picturesque banks of Loch Lomond has been unanimously rejected by the park authority's governing board, amid a wave of concern over its impact. In a decisive move on Monday evening, the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) voted against the controversial plans to build a Flamingo Land theme park along the scenic shores of the loch. The authority was bombarded with almost 175,000 objections, and during a board meeting at Lomond Parish Church in Alexandria, it was claimed that the public had been "duped".
The ambitious resort plans in Balloch, West Dunbartonshire, which were first put forward six years ago, included two hotels, over 100 self-catering lodges, a water park, monorail, and 372 car parking spaces, all proposed by Yorkshire-based theme park operator Flamingo Land. It emerged in the meeting that a mere 69 people had expressed support for the proposed park since scrutiny began in May 2022. In total, a staggering 174,946 objections were lodged most of which were mobilised through a Scottish Green Party campaign, with 834 directly addressed to the park authority.
Green MSP Ross Greer, who made his opposition heard at the meeting, hailed the decision as a "huge victory" for the local community in Balloch. He celebrated the outcome, saying: "Residents have been united against this daft plan from the start, stepping up to defend one of Scotland's iconic landscapes. After almost a decade, this is the result.