The board of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority has unanimously approved controversial plans to introduce bylaws to ‘protect the park’s unique environment’ after a public consultation received more than 300 responses.

The Your Park proposals aim to safeguard the environment from camping, however, critics hit out at the plans, claiming bylaws are unnecessary and would criminalise law-abiding backpackers.

The park authority approved the creation of four camping management bylaw zones on its busiest lochshores, covering 3.7 per cent of the park’s total area, and investment in improved camping facilities.

It is proposed that this will see the creation of 300 camping places, through a mixture of camping permits and low-cost campsites, in the first year in which the new bylaws would be operating.

Linda McKay, convener of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority board, said: “The consultation showed tremendous support for the proposals at both a local and national level including from all our community councils and constituent local authorities, as well as national agencies concerned for the protection of the National Park’s sensitive environment.

“We appreciate the range of views from many different interests. However, on balance, we believe our duty first and foremost is to conserve the environment of this special place for the enjoyment of this and future generations.

“Conscious of our responsibility to promote access and recreation in the park, the board has sought to take a proportionate approach; introducing a range of measures designed to protect the special characteristics of this designated area of Scotland, while also striving to enhance provision for those who will continue to want to camp. We hope these new proposals show just how far we have travelled from the original position.” The plans were developed following ‘increasing evidence’ that the park is being degraded by the relentless pressure from high volumes of campers repeatedly visiting the same popular areas giving these fragile areas no time to recover.

Further damage has been reportedly caused by the irresponsible behaviour of some visitors, including littering, lochshores being used as a toilet, trees being cut down for firewood, abandonment of entire campsites and summer-long unauthorised caravan encampments in laybys.

During the recent Your Park consultation, key delivery partners Police Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland all responded positively in support of the proposals and provided constructive feedback that helped improve the final recommendations.

Ian McEachern, convener of Luss and Arden Community Council, said residents of Luss have to endure antisocial behaviour from large groups of campers every summer, and following a community council survey of all residents in the area, 95 per cent of the 110 written responses supported the proposals.

He added: “Without a bylaw to manage camping, police are only able to act after antisocial behaviour occurs and they are limited in what they can arrest for.

“By the time they are contacted and able to respond, which is generally late on a Friday or Saturday night, the troublemakers are likely to be so intoxicated that they cannot be moved for their own safety.

“At times this has meant these campers continue to disturb residents and to damage property for the remainder of the night. As a community, we feel the proposed bylaws are essential and that they cannot come soon enough.” Having been approved by the Board yesterday, the National Park Authority will begin the confirmation process where Scottish government ministers are asked for approval.

This involves a further 30-day notification period where the National Park Authority must give the public notice of its intention to apply to Scottish ministers for their approval.

Interested parties will have one month from the notice to make representations to the Scottish government if they have objections.