MORE than a hundred people gathered at Drumkinnon Bay last week to stand up against the proposed £30 million Flamingo Land development plans on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Friends of Drumkinnon Bay organised a peaceful “hands round Drumkinnon Bay” protest to voice their thoughts on the controversial proposals.

Flamingo Land and Scottish Enterprise have applied for planning permission in principle for a development including over 100 holiday lodges, a monorail and water park.

Emma McKerry, who helped organise the gathering, told the Reporter she fears for the futures of Drumkinnon Bay, the woods and the riverside, known to locals as the “Three Sacred Cows” if the plans go ahead.

Emma said: “The carbon footprint alone will damage the woods. When you start putting lodges in it sets a dangerous precedent for the future with restricted access.

“With a waterpark that bay will never be the same.

“There are a lot of elderly people in the area that can’t walk up to Balloch Park, so they’ll use the woods. And most important is the wellbeing of the trees and the wildlife.

“These new jobs I believe won’t impact people’s lives. I believe it’ll be seasonal work.”

Emma said there was a great turnout to their protest, which included a walk around the woods, and a joining of hands around Drumkinnon Bay, accompanied by a bag pipe player.

She added: “It was really emotional, it was such a beautiful event.

It’s such a special place. It’s been described as ‘a place to go to feel a million miles from everybody else’.

“It’s a great place, appreciated by so many people. People will come over from Glasgow who can’t afford to go to these places where you have to pay.”

A spokesman for Flamingo Land said a number of changes were made to the plans following consultation days.

He added: “These changes have included the removal of a viewing tower, retaining the north beach at Drumkinnon Bay, we have committed to signing up to the Scottish living wage and many other changes.

“We are forging great links with local businesses to make sure the economic benefit is far spread around Balloch and the Vale of Leven.”

“The whole area will be free for people to continue to walk their dogs, sit in the woods, swim in the loch as they do now. We would argue that area should become more usable given it will have sensitive lighting to all paths and routes, these will also be managed and maintained, alternative transport for those who through disability can’t get access currently. The lighting should allow the area to be usable 24 hours, particularly in the winter.”

A spokesperson for The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Park Authority said: “The Planning application for the proposed development at West Riverside, Balloch is available to view on the e-planning portal on our website and paper copies are also on display in our National Park headquarters.

“We would encourage anyone who would like to comment on the proposal to contact us directly so their views can be taken into consideration during the decision-making process. You can comment on the application either through our e-planning portal, or by emailing or sending a letter to our headquarters before the 27th June which is the statutory deadline.

“However, the consultation period will remain open, and public comments can continue to be submitted until Officers make a recommendation on the proposal.”