Ministers stall plans for Loch Lomond Flamingo Land hotel

The Scottish govt has stalled plans for a arguable vacation park at Loch Lomond.

Ministers had in the past been set to offer permission for the improvement, overturning the nationwide park authority which mentioned it didn’t agree to environmental and nature conservation insurance policies.

Theme park operator Flamingo Land believed it could be given the go-ahead to construct a £40m hotel referred to as Lomond Banks, that includes a waterpark, monorail, lodge and eating places.

The Scottish govt’s Minister for Public Finance, Ivan McKee, has now mentioned he’ll recall the plans as a result of “the development raises issues of national significance in view of its potential impact on Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park”.

He mentioned: “This means that the appeal should be determined at a national level.”

McKee has in the past resisted requires ministers to intrude within the determination to permit the plans to move ahead.

The unique proposal sparked protests and used to be to begin with rejected ultimate September via Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park authority, who mentioned it didn’t agree to environmental and nature conservation insurance policies.

But that used to be appealed to the Scottish govt reporter, who ultimate month mentioned they supposed to grant permission – topic to a criminal settlement between Flamingo Land and the park.

Government journalists believe the majority of appeals, appointed via ministers to decide on their behalf.

However a few of these are ‘recalled’ via ministers who will then make the general determination themselves.

At the time, building director for Lomond Banks Jim Paterson mentioned it used to be a “real milestone moment” which have been “a long time in the making”.

But Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer, who has been a long-standing critic of the plan, mentioned the improvement would purpose “irreversible damage” and the verdict used to be an “anti-democratic outrage”.

Flamingo Land first submitted plans for the website online in 2018, however withdrew them the next 12 months after a wave of detrimental response.

It submitted up to date plans in 2020, insisting the proposal could be a “major step away” from its different accommodations, together with a theme park and zoo in Yorkshire.

But the Loch Lomond park authority board dominated that the up to date scheme nonetheless conflicted with each regional and nationwide environmental insurance policies.

Stuart Pearce, “director of place” for the park authority, in the past mentioned the plans created “unacceptable risk” of flooding of the River Leven.

More than 174,000 other folks signed a petition towards the undertaking.

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