Flamingo Land development chiefs welcome council leader's comments on Balloch plans

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Development chiefs behind plans for a £40million tourist resort on the banks of Loch Lomond have welcomed comments made by the leader of West Dunbartonshire Council.Last month we told how Labour leader of WDC, and Lomond ward member, Martin Rooney said he believed the Lomond Banks development would benefit the areaThe veteran councillor told the Lennox that it was “a choice between supporting significant investment in tourism or accepting continued decline”.Yorkshire-based Flamingo Land is seeking permission for a resort on land at West Riverside, that would see hotels, a monorail, a water park, swimming pool, restaurants, two car parks and more than 100 forest lodges built.More than 80,000 people have signed an online petition against the development, with fears over the impact it would have on the stunning lochside landscape - with the Scottish Greens labelling it “the most objected to planning application in Scottish history.”Councillor Rooney was speaking after Lomond Banks was given the thumbs up by Alexandria Community Council - who stressed that they didn’t speak for everyone in the area, but believed the plans would boost the local economy in the Vale.And the local backing was welcomed by Jim Paterson, development Director for Lomond Banks.He said: “We have always recognised the fantastic tourism opportunity at West Riverside and Woodbank House and our vision for the area very much focuses on inward investment, jobs, training, and real opportunities for local businesses.“This area has long been zoned and identified in local development plans as an area for key tourism development and we believe our revised plans, while sympathetic to their surroundings, creates the much-needed, and long-awaited link between