THE company behind plans for a major tourist development in Balloch - including a monorail, indoor water park, two hotels and forest lodges - has promised to maintain commuter parking in the village if its plans are approved.

Lomond Banks’ £40 million plans for the West Riverside and Woodbank House sites were the subject of a ‘pre-application consultation’ meeting with members of West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) on Wednesday.

The event was part of consultations by the Flamingo Land firm on its revised proposals for the area after a previous application, which attracted more than 50,000 objections, was withdrawn in 2019.

A briefing document prepared for councillors before the meeting lists the development proposals which include an indoor water park, watersports hub, activity centre, amphitheatre, forest lodges and a monorail through Balloch.

The revised plans include no development in Drumkinnon Woods and proposals to transform the derelict Woodbank House.

Fiona Robertson, community engagement lead for the project said: “What we are proposing is in line with the local development plan. It is absolutely not a theme park.

“Something that was an important point last year was the idea of public access at all times for everyone, and there’s a commitment from the team that public access will be maintained.

“We have an absolute commitment to prioritise local jobs and residents that extends to no zero hour contracts and the real living wage.”

Councillor Jonathan McColl, leader of West Dunbartonshire Council and one of three councillors for the Lomond ward, which includes the development sites, said: “One of the biggest issues with the previous planning applications is - and it might not seem like a big issue on the grand scheme of all - was the removal of the parking that is currently opposite the train station. It is a very well used park and ride facility.

A spokesperson for Lomond Banks replied: “We have had discussions with your own roads department to understand the number of spaces and where would be a suitable place to put them and we are committed to maintaining that park and ride facility.

“It is likely that those spaces would be put back on the western side of Pier Road.”

Conservative councillor Sally Page, who also represents the Lomond ward, raised a number of questions with the Lomond Banks project team during Wednesday’s session.

The Conservative councillor said: “I personally have a slight problem with the National Park encouraging visitors. Can I please ask if you have ever travelled on a train in Balloch?

“I am not sure you were on the train in summer, when we had so many problems that police were meeting every train that arrived, and local people were driving to Dumbarton to get on the train because it was more comfortable to travel.”

A spokesperson for Lomond Banks replied: “I am very aware that the community start to feel overwhelmed and that does cause anti-social behaviour, so we have taken that back and thought how Flamingo Land will operate.”

Though WDC is a consultee, the council will have no formal role in deciding on the fate of a planning application for the sites, which is expected to be lodged with the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority in the new year.

The original Lomond Banks plans were withdrawn in September 2019 after the park authority’s officials recommended that permission should be refused.

Reaction on social media following the Reporter’s online coverage of last week’s meeting was more positive, with one Facebook user commenting that they were “all for it to bring work to [the] area”.

Another said; “Most of the people that don’t want it don’t come from Balloch. We need the jobs, the place is so run down.”

And a third commented; “Fantastic, would add so much to Scotland and jobs for local people.

“Don’t spoil it this time.”