A community council claims their plans for the banks of Loch Lomond will create benefits that the proposed Flamingo Land development cannot.

The Balloch and Haldane group is submitting an application hoping to transfer a tourist information centre and adjoining land on West Riverside to public ownership.

Their plans for the land include creating a community hub, amphitheatre and safeguarding the park and ride facilities.

This area is currently earmarked to become lodges and a ticket office under the Flamingo Land proposals for a 'Lomond Banks' resort which are still being assessed by the local planning authority.

Lynne Somerville at Balloch Lynne Somerville at Balloch (Image: Robert Perry) Lynne Somerville from the community council says their bid for the land will offer the same proposed benefits that Lomond Banks says they will create like job creation and local investment but will mitigate the issues that have plagued the planning application thus far.

The Flamingo Land application in principle has so far received 163,000 objections in an online petition.

The community council have set up the Loch Lomond South Community Development Trust which will apply for an asset transfer under the 2015 Community Empowerment Act.

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The Lomond Banks development has committed to providing employment opportunities, economic investment and becoming a world-class tourist destination in their planning application.

However, Lynne says the community council's plans will be a better solution than the resort which has been criticised over its impact on the environment, local businesses and an increase in traffic on the A82.

She said: "We want to ensure that whatever is developed on the land is sympathetic to the local area and it's for the betterment of the local community.

"The asset transfer of the Community Development Trust is not directly to stop the Flamingo Land, it's in fact to create better opportunities for wealth-building and community empowerment.

"We will create far better opportunities, we will also be safeguarding the local businesses that would otherwise be impacted."

The community council will need to prove they have enough crowdfunding available to take on the area.

The community council met to discuss their plansThe community council met to discuss their plans (Image: Robert Perry)

A fundraising page has been posted on social media to collect funds for this process and has so far reached £2,011. 

Lynne added: "We could host local productions and local music events. We could protect biodiversity, retaining the access rights for those who have boats on that side of the river and we would safeguard that park and ride which is essential.

"It would also be in keeping with the national planning framework for climate action.

"We could utilise the land. Right now there's no community centre, there's been no park and rides and the library has been shut down.

"We want to create an environment that is sustainable for not just the local people but also for visiting tourists."

Lynne insists the proposals, which have been in the works for a while, are not to counter the Flamingo Land plans.

However, the pending decision on the Lomond Banks application is still at the forefront of the community council's mind.

Lynne said: "If their plans weren't as big and dominating of the entire area the community probably wouldn't have much of an issue.

"Unfortunately, it is the size that it is, and they don't seem to be moving on that."