Flamingo Land's Loch Lomond mega resort new bid faces furious backlash

Flamingo Land’s bid to build a mega resort on the shores of Loch Lomond is facing a new wave of community anger that campaigners say should be the “final nail in its coffin”.

The Yorkshire firm’s controversial plans for the beauty spot include a water park, monorail, swimming pool, hotel, eateries and more than 100 lodges. But a newly-formed community council for Balloch and Haldane has rejected the proposals over potential impacts on the landscape and natural environment, local roads, firms and public services.

It follows a bizarre episode in September 2022 when the old community council backed the Flamingo Land plan – despite a survey finding 74 per cent of locals opposed it – then promptly disbanded. The reformed local group now says that should never have happened.

And local Green MSP Ross Greer – who has long campaigned against the £40million bid – said the community had faced a “ludicrous” ordeal spanning nearly a decade.

Flamingo Land was granted exclusive access by Scottish Enterprise to develop on the land back in 2016 – but its first application for a massive 46-acre resort was withdrawn in 2019 amid local anger. It launched a second revised bid in 2022.

In its new objection letter to the Loch Lomond park authority, the Balloch and Haldane Community Council said it was withdrawing support for the application “to align with the community’s view”.

ross greer

The Record attended a meeting in Balloch between the new community council and Greer as locals told of their “exhaustion” at the long-running saga.

Greer told the Record: “This is a fundamentally inappropriate development – it’s too big and it’s too disruptive.

“Yet again, the community is being left in limbo because Flamingo Land is in the driving seat.

“For as long as they have an exclusive agreement on this land, nobody else can get in and develop something that the community would actually welcome.

The West Scotland MSP added: “The community council putting in this submission really should be the final nail in the coffin for the application.

“It should make it abundantly clear that they have no support, they need to withdraw and the community can be allowed to move on.”

Campaigners say the Flamingo Land bid is the “most objected to” planning application in Scots history, with 81,000 objections to date, according to the Greens.

In August, we revealed how eco watchdog SEPA had flagged parts of the proposed development as a serious flood risk.

And in 2022, heritage chiefs at the National Trust for Scotland raised concerns that the holiday complex would clog up roads and ruin natural beauty if approved.

Speaking to the Record, locals insisted they wanted to see investment and development in the area.

But Lynne Somerville, chair of the community council, added: “It just needs to be the right investment.

“We have reformed with the aim of representing public opinion which is something that should have happened in the first place.

“The fact we’ve now got SEPA objecting and other key bodies means it’s going to get more and more difficult for them to justify their application.”

She added: “One of the main gripes of the local community against Flamingo Land is the A82. We’ve seen people dying in ambulances on that road unable to reach a hospital due to traffic.

“Flamingo Land seems to think they can justify that hundreds of extra cars coming along that road won’t make such a huge impact. We don’t see how that can be possible.”

Jim Paterson, from developers Lomond Banks, said: “Our team has been involved in extensive consultations for more than a year with the public, local stakeholders and business alike, and we have been encouraged throughout the process by the level of support that sits within the community for our revised plans and all the benefits that these would bring.

“We are disappointed by the change of position by Balloch and Haldane Community Council, but will look to engage with them as they further consider their position and thoughts on the plans, and we remain confident our proposals are in keeping with NPF4 guidelines in terms of flooding and biodiversity.

“It’s our firm belief that Lomond Banks will bring considerable economic and social benefit to the region.

“We have pledged to not only be a good neighbour, a responsible employer and green operator, but Lomond Banks will ensure that, if given the opportunity, this world-class tourism development, in an area of Loch Lomond that has been identified in the local development plans by both West Dunbartonshire Council and the National Park Authority for such a purpose, will be a source of pride amongst the local community for generations to come.”

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