MSPs urged to back end to Flamingo Land exclusivity agreement
MSPs across the Scottish Parliament have been urged to back a Scottish Green motion calling for an end to Flamingo Land’s exclusivity agreement for a site on the banks of Loch Lomond.
Scottish Government agency Scottish Enterprise entered into an agreement with Flamingo Land in 2016, which gave the Yorkshire theme park operator exclusive rights to buy the locally popular West Riverside and Drumkinnon Wood site. Despite their application for a mega-resort on the site receiving a record number of objections and failing in 2019, the agreement was renewed in 2020, leading to a second application due to be considered this coming Monday.
The fate of Flamingo Land’s latest effort will be decided by the board of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, who have received a record 150,000 objections to the plans. Organisations who have objected include the Woodland Trust, National Trust for Scotland, Ramblers Scotland, Balloch and Haldane Community Council and, crucially, environment watchdog SEPA.
The National Park’s own expert planning officers have also recommended that their board reject the plans.
Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer, who has led the campaign against Flamingo Land for the past eight years, has lodged a motion in Parliament calling for the exclusivity agreement - now referred to as a ‘conditional missive’ to be ended if the current application is rejected. In addition, the motion calls for the Scottish Government to 'review the impact of such agreements on the affected communities.’
Speaking this weekend, Ross Greer said: “The threat of this garish and destructive mega-resort has been hanging over the residents of Balloch for far too long.
"If Flamingo Land’s proposal is once again rejected, then their grip over the area must be ended and the exclusivity agreement finally terminated. It absolutely cannot be extended again.
“The agreement should never have been renewed in 2020, after Flamingo Land’s first application was roundly condemned by residents and experts alike. As a result of that error of judgement by Scottish Enterprise, residents have had to put up with a further four years of a developer trying to force its daft and destructive plans on their community.
“The outrage this has caused right across the country is clear from the record number of objections that have been submitted. Loch Lomond is an iconic, world-renowned location, so it hasn’t surprised anyone familiar with the area that so many people have joined local residents in the campaign to save it.
“I urge MSPs from across all parties to join with the Scottish Greens in calling on the Scottish Government to take action immediately after Monday’s board meeting.
“They should listen to the community, and the country, and instruct Scottish Enterprise not to renew the agreement with Flamingo Land if their mega-resort plans are rejected a second time. Residents must be allowed to move on from the anxiety and uncertainty caused by this years-long battle to save their community.”
Text of Ross Greer's motion
Flamingo Land's Loch Lomond Exclusivity Agreement
That the Parliament notes the exclusivity agreement signed by Lomond Banks developer, Flamingo Land, and government agency, Scottish Enterprise, in 2016; understands that this agreement gave Flamingo Land exclusive rights to buy the West Riverside and Drumkinnon Wood site on the shores of Loch Lomond at Balloch, currently owned by Scottish Enterprise; further understands that this agreement was renewed as a conditional missive in 2020, following the failure of Flamingo Land's first application for a resort development on the site; commends the Balloch residents who have reportedly campaigned against Flamingo Land for almost a decade; understands that Flamingo Land's second application has generated the most objections of any planning application in Scottish history, including from the Woodland Trust, National Trust for Scotland, Ramblers, Balloch and Haldane Community Council, SEPA and over 150,000 individuals; is concerned that the exclusivity agreement/conditional missive has suppressed the ability of others to bring forward alternative proposals for the site, and calls on the Scottish Government not to renew this agreement again if Flamingo Land's current application is rejected by Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and to review the impact of such agreements on the affected communities.
