The charity behind the Maid of the Loch has thrown its support behind controversial plans for a £40million holiday park.
The Loch Lomond Steamship Company says the Balloch resort would boost the area and allow it to achieve its “full potential”.
Chairman Iain Robertson has penned a letter to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority confirming its support.
The organisation is among the latest to lodge a representation over the proposals by Flamingo Land which would see plans for hotels, lodges, restaurants, cafes, shops, a craft brewery and monorail at West Riverside.
There are currently more than 450 documents lodged with the national park authority.
Views are mixed with more than 30,000 people adding their names to an online petition set up by the Scottish Greens.
Iain said the resort would compliment existing tourism businesses, including the Maid of the Loch which is currently being restored.
He said: “In general we believe the additional accommodation and facilities will benefit Balloch and the wider area in terms of increased economic activity and jobs both on site and throughout the extended supply chain.
“We also think it will benefit complementary tourist and leisure businesses including PS Maid of the Loch by providing an enhanced visitor experience.
“In addition the improved pedestrian link between Balloch village, the pierhead area and Loch Lomond Shores will in our opinion benefit all three sites and encourage day visitors to extend their length of visit to the economic benefit of the whole area.
“We also consider that promises by the applicant to ensure continued access and perhaps better signage for the two nationally recognised great trails, the Three Lochs Way and the John Muir Way, that currently follow the riverside path between Balloch and the Loch Lomond Shores complex to be of great importance.”
The Loch Lomond Steamship Company also welcome the inclusion of a monorail which they believe will encourage visitors to leave their cars behind.
It follows concerns by critics that the resort would result in an influx of vehicles.
Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie previously told how a survey of 3200 residents found even those who backed the development had concerns over the impact on local roads.
Iain said: “A key element of the application is the transport link via monorail to the pierhead area. This link was lost in 1986 when the railway was terminated in Balloch village.
“We welcome this transport link which we believe will enable visitors of all abilities to travel to the pier, the historic steam slipway, PS Maid of the Loch and Loch Lomond Shores without the necessity of arriving in the area by car.
“It will also encourage visitors to Lomond Shores to visit Balloch village, a benefit which has eluded the village for over 20 years.
“Balloch is the principal access point to Loch Lomond and the national park beyond.
“We believe it is essential to transform a currently unattractive and unwelcoming West Riverside/Pier Road corridor into a much more visually attractive and safe place for visitors and residents alike.”
