Significant revisions have been made to hugely controversial development plans for Loch Lomond.
Major plans for West Riverside and Woodbank House at Balloch – including a hotel, houses, holiday lodges, brewery and a monorail – were submitted in a joint project by Flamingo Land and Scottish Enterprise last summer.
More than 1,100 people – ranging from local MP Martin Docherty-Hughes to actress Miriam Margolyes – have objected to the plans, with 50 comments in support – including from Balloch and Haldane Community Council and the Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, while 27,000 people have emailed objections in a campaign led by MSP Ross Greer
But now dozens of new documents have been submitted to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, with changes including:
- Changes to the ‘pierhead’ development
- Woodbank House would be converted and extended to form 15 flats
- The number of houses in the grounds of Woodbank House would be cut from 20 to six, but there would be 50 lodges or bothies, rather than 28
- A proposed boathouse would be used for storage and ‘water-based recreation’ rather than self-catering.
A statement from the national park today said the application had been ‘paused’ since August as more information had been requested from the applicants, although public comments were still being received and recorded.
It added: “We have now received the information requested from the applicant.
“While considering the request for the additional information the national park authority needed, the applicants have also amended elements of their original proposals.
“This is not a new application. The application description has been updated, however the new information forms part of the original application.
“We are now in the process of re-consultation with the relevant statutory consultees and anyone who has already submitted a representation to the application has been informed.”
Planners said that all comments already received would still be considered, although there was now a new opportunity to comment.
An environmental statement from the developers comments on the ‘significant environmental impact’ of the project, but the application is for planning permission in principle, so detailed drawings are not required.
The national park adds: “An application of this scale takes a significant amount of time to assess and determine and we are not currently in a position to advise of a determination date.
‘Once all the representations and information from the applicant has been fully considered, the planning case officer will make a recommendation to our board members to either approve or refuse the application.
“The authority’s board or planning and access committee (made up by members of our board) will then make a decision on the application at a meeting in public. We will publicise the date of this meeting once it is confirmed.”
The new planning documents and original submissions can all be viewed on the national park’s website – the reference number is 2018/0133/PPP.
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