MORE than 17,000 people have signed a petition protesting against plans for the proposed £30 million Flamingo Land tourism development at Loch Lomond.

The number of signatories has increased significantly after the long-awaited application by the developer and Scottish Enterprise was published online last month.

Flamingo Land and the enterprise company are seeking planning permission in principle for the development at Balloch, with the proposed development at this stage comprising of key parameters, within which its detailed design can be confirmed later.

Up to 105 self-catering lodges, a 60 bedroom apart-hotel, 32-bedspace budget accommodation, leisure/pool/water park area, monorail and brewery are all cited as part of the plans in the application to the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs Park Authority.

Bruce Biddulph, who started the petition, said: “I do not think the sale of this land should have gone ahead the way it did, without consulting the public first. It appeared to go ahead under the radar.

“I do not think the public were made fully aware of what was going on and the implications of this sale weren’t made all that public.

“We do need more accommodation. This is not an ‘anti’ stance. It’s asking why it was sold in the first place.

“My position is not about what is being built, but that there has been no conversation in the first place.

“I hope that the petition will start a conversation about Balloch and what it really needs,and if this development as it stands is proper for Balloch.

“I am not anti development. I am fully aware a place like Balloch needs to serve tourists.”

Flamingo Land already own and operate a holiday resort in Yorkshire, which accommodates up to 5,000 people per night and is centred on a theme park which brings in 1.5 million visitors each season.

The planning statement for the Loch Lomond site claims that the plans are for a “tasteful tourism focussed development appropriate to the setting in a national park and not a theme park that would be incompatible with the location”.

Among the petition’s signatories so far is Alexandria resident Tracy Thomson, who said: “Balloch does not have the road or parking infrastructure to increase visitor numbers. Relying on public transport to support this is unrealistic as most will still drive. The last few nice days show that Balloch is already struggling with the numbers of visitors.

“The parking is lacking and the plans do not add to parking resource while increasing numbers. The A82 cannot cope with the traffic now.

Another signatory, James Sinclair, stated: “Our right to roam will be impeded. This is an area of outstanding beauty and as such should be left as it is.”

The application has also attracted 17 formal objections so far, including one submitted by Mr Biddulph, which states that the “development is inappropriate to Balloch as it will create an economic disruption that will dominate and oust current businesses, as as setting a dangerous precedent locally”.