A RECOMMENDATION on how the National Park should deal with the proposed Lomond Banks development will be published tomorrow (THU).

The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority says a report and recommendation on the controversial plans will be published on the authority's website on Thursday, September 5.

The recommendation by the park's planning officials is no more than that – a recommendation – with a final decision on whether to grant planning permission to be made at a public meeting of the park's board at Alexandria Parish Church on Tuesday, September 24.

Thousands of people from all over Scotland and beyond have lodged objections to the planning application by Iconic Leisure Developments, part of the Flamingo Land organisation, for the West Riverside and Woodbank House sites in Balloch.

The park authority has also announced that anybody wishing to speak at the public hearing on September 24 will be able to submit a 'participation form' between September 5, when the report is published, and midday on Monday, September 16.

A National Park authority spokesperson said: “We can now confirm that we intend to publish the report outlining the director of rural development and planning’s recommendation to the board on the proposed development on our website on Thursday, September 5 2019.

“This is two full working weeks before the hearing, considerably more than would normally be the case because we appreciate the significant public interest in this complex major application.

“Please remember, the report is a recommendation only.

The final decision whether to approve or refuse the application will be made by the National Park Authority Board, following a public hearing, at a meeting in public on Tuesday, September 24.

“Once the report and recommendation is published, staff and board members of the National Park Authority will not be able to comment on the merits of the application until after the hearing and meeting takes place.

“We will however, continue to provide updates like this via our website, social media channels and to the relevant local media.

“Given the significant public interest in the application, and the capacity of the room at our Balloch headquarters that we would normally use for this type of meeting, we have opted to hold the meeting in a bigger venue.

“We have hired the largest, locally available venue to hold as many people as is practically possible for the hearing and meeting. Alexandria Parish Church can hold more than 200 people.”

Iconic Leisure Developments announced a series of changes to its proposed development, comprising extensive residential accommodation and a range of leisure and retail facilities, in April.

It has also been confirmed that the start time for the hearing will be announced on Thursday, September 5.