Flamingo Land bosses have submitted revised plans for a £40million Loch Lomond tourist development – as chiefs revealed more information about how they will engage with the community.
Those behind the second-take plans have lodged a new Proposal of Application (PAN) notice to the national park authority, with the full details yet to be made public.
The Yorkshire-based firm say the revised PAN was submitted in response to feedback from Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority.
It’s expected to be published on the park authority’s website in the coming days.
The team behind the Lomond Banks project have also told how two rounds of public consultation will take place in September and November this year ahead of the formal planning application being lodged.
Fiona Robertson, of Streets-UK, has been appointed ‘community engagement lead’, with bosses saying she will work closely with communities and businesses to help shape the consultation and proposals.
She was previously involved in the planning application process for Lomond Shores, commenting: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work on such a project and to be working with the local community to help shape these plans in a meaningful way.
“In many ways, it feels like coming home as I was part of the team who delivered the original Lomond Shores plans at the planning application stage.
“The rationale for Lomond Shores was to provide the already high number of visitors to Loch Lomond the opportunity to “stop, stay and spend” and the Balloch riverside site – which is now known as Lomond Banks - was always seen as the next evolution of the project.
“Unfortunately, back in the early 2000s, there was no business interest in taking the West Riverside part of the project forward.
“However now we have the Lomond Banks concept of eco-friendly holiday lodges, a hotel and microbrewery, which very much supports the original vision that Balloch should be the “great reception point” for Loch Lomond – an ambition first announced by Sir Patrick Abercrombie in 1946 as part of his visionary Clyde Valley Plan.
“Some 75 years later the need to support local business and create jobs in a way that protects the environment of the wider Loch Lomond National Park has never been more important and the proposed development comes at a time when economic investment and meaningful growth in the local tourism market is required. I look forward to engaging with local businesses as plans progress.”
Flamingo Land revealed fresh plans for the Balloch site at West Riverside over two months ago.
Chiefs withdrew their original proposals in September 2019 after planning officers at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park recommend it be refused.
This followed thousands of objections including a petition amassing almost 60,000 signatures. However, many local people have also backed the plans.
At the end of last year a conditional missive was put in place which means Scottish Enterprise will sell the land to the company should it get planning permission.
Fiona will be scheduling meetings with interested groups this month and anyone interested in taking part should email her at community@lomondbanks.com.
