OBJECTIONS against the Flamingo Land development at Loch Lomond have now surpassed 50,000.
Iconic Leisure Developments, the company behind Yorkshire's Flamingo Land resort, says its £30 million Balloch plan will create a "world class family holiday village" and improve biodiversity on lochside land once used for heavy industry.
If approved, the scheme – set to be called Lomond Banks – will include a hotel, craft brewery, leisure centre and restaurants.
READ MORE: Flamingo Land owners set to develop £30m leisure complex at Loch Lomond site
However, critics have hit out against plans to build on the site, which is being sold by development agency Scottish Enterprise, with the area's MSP Ross Greer leading a campaign to oppose the holiday development.
The Scottish Greens politician pledged to deliver 40,000 objections through his online campaign, achieving what is thought to be the highest number ever for a Scottish planning application.
Now he has spoken out after the total topped 50,500.
Greer said: “A phenomenal 50,000 people have now backed my campaign, lodging their objection to Flamingo Land’s planning application for Loch Lomond. This is a message the National Park board cannot ignore.
"The success of tourism at Loch Lomond comes from the world-famous natural beauty and wildlife of our national park. For the sake of a private developer’s profit margins, that world-famous environment, the wildlife it contains and the many jobs and businesses currently dependent on it are now at risk. Our campaign to stop the sell-off of this public land will only continue to grow.”
READ MORE: Greer vows to deliver 50,000 Loch Lomond development objections
Proposals by Iconic Leisure Developments were originally lodged in May last year. However, the planning process stalled after the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority requested further details and amendments to the blueprints. These were revealed earlier this month and it is thought that the resort could create 130 permanent and 70 seasonal posts.
Andy Miller of Iconic Leisure Developments said it will "add tangible value" for at least 40 years.
Find out more about our 10,000 Steps campaign here.
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