Loch Lomond: Greer tells Parliament "Help us win this fight once again"
Green MSP Ross Greer has led a debate in Parliament on Flamingo Land’s controversial Loch Lomond Development plans, asking MSPs to back the fight to reject the plans.
After withdrawing plans in 2018 following a Scottish Record 60,000 objections, the Yorkshire Theme Park Operator recently lodged plans for 127 woodland lodges, a water park, hotel, monorail and much more on mainly publicly owned land on the shore of Loch Lomond.
The debate was held in Holyrood with MSPs from the Greens, SNP, Labour and Conservatives contributing. In his opening speech, Ross Greer, who led the successful campaign against Flamingo Land’s first application, described how the new plans look “eerily familiar”. He drew attention to the “huge” scale of the development, and how the “whole development would be focussed on Flamingo Land’s customers, to the detriment of those local residents and other visitors who just want to enjoy this accessible lochside location.”
And in response to the plan’s impact on road congestion and climate change, Mr Greer said “Balloch and the wider National Park need to see significant improvements to public transport services, not doubling down on car-centric developments.”
Despite the developer’s claims to have saved ancient woodland on site, Greer pointed out that the developer’s “Environmental Impact Assessment says nearly half a hectare of ancient woodland – that’s two-thirds of the size of the pitch at Hampden - will be removed in the construction phase of the development.”
In conclusion, the Green MSP asked for other elected representatives to back the campaign to reject the plans: “Flamingo Land’s plan is frankly, boring, generic and expensive. It does nothing to enhance Balloch’s position as a gateway to a national park. It is not what we need to support the economy and it is certainly not what we need to tackle the climate emergency. No real consideration has been given to the local community or the environment. I want to encourage members across all parties, as well as any members of the public watching, to join me in lodging strong objections to these plans….. Our campaign’s commitment to save Loch Lomond is unwavering. And I ask everyone who feels the same to join us. Help us win this fight once again.”