The development:
Lomond Banks is a major step away from Flamingo Land’s traditional portfolio of theme parks, with the vision to instead create a world-class family holiday village, taking inspiration from Center Parcs and other nature-orientated adventure parks in Scotland.
Despite what you may have heard, there are no rollercoasters, theme park attractions or flamingos earmarked for the development. Instead, Lomond Banks has been designed to be compatible with the designated planning land use at its core, ensuring that the local community will enjoy and be proud of the development for generations to come.
The Lomond Banks’ proposal seeks to create a high-quality tourism and recreation-led destination, comprising of hotel and holiday accommodation, combined with family orientated leisure activities.
To ensure the proposals meet the vision for the area at West Riverside and Woodbank House, the development will now comprise of:
- Refurbished tourist information building
- Up to 60-bedroomapartment-hotel
- Up to 32 bedspace budget hotel
- Up to 104 self-catering holiday lodges (comprised of up to 42 single story woodland
- lodges (Riverfront); up to 37 countryside lodges (in grounds of Woodbank House); and up to 25 woodland lodges (in grounds of Woodbank House)
- Up to six self-catering holiday properties in Woodbank House ancillary buildings
- Restoration and redevelopment/conversion of Woodbank House for up to 15 self-catering holiday apartments (subject to other necessary constraints)
- Leisure / pool / water park / spa
- Restaurants / hot food café / retail areas
- Craft brewery visitor attraction and beer tap hall
- Visitor reception area and hub building
- External activity areas including spaces for event and performance, play, picnic and barbeque areas
- Monorail
- Staff service and welfare accommodation (now dispersed through the development)
- Associated parking, landscaping, and infrastructure development works
- Access to be taken from the surrounding road network including Ben Lomond Way and Pier Road
Our plans include a revised vision of the site adjacent to the pierhead, separate to the public slipway managed by the National Park, to be more in keeping with the natural landscape, and the complete removal of any development in the ancient woodland of Drumkinnon Wood. More extensive ecological evaluations have also been undertaken for this submission to ensure a considered approach to the development and protection of the surrounding environment.
Breaking away from our traditional portfolio of theme parks, the proposed new Lomond Banks development will be centred around a new accommodation-led resort that will be devised to complement the local environment whilst bringing much needed investment and job creation to Balloch and West Dunbartonshire.
The new proposals for West Riverside and Woodbank House, which is adjacent to Loch Lomond Shores, have for some time been identified for tourism development in the Local Development Plan. The Lomond Banks development team will work with leading planning consultants, Stantec, and project architects, Anderson, Bell + Christie, to deliver the prestigious project.
Lomond Banks also includes the retention of the Grade A Listed Woodbank House, which is on the ‘Buildings at Risk’ register. The conservation and redevelopment of these listed structures within the site will be subject to future applications for Detailed Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent (LBC).
We are currently in the final stages of the planning campaign to seek Planning Permission in Principle (PPiP). If approved, the team would progress to work on plans for Detailed Planning Permission. At this point, the indicative details outlined above would be confirmed.
The revised plans for West Riverside and Woodbank House offer an opportunity for a unique leisure-based development that truly respects and complements the surrounding area. It is also in-line with the long-standing vision for the site that has been held by the local authority for more than 30 years, which has been articulated in the Local Development Plan and in the Balloch Charrette.
The vision – along with our conservation credentials – will bring new life to the site, honouring its industrial past, improving biodiversity and protecting the natural woodland setting. These qualities are essential to the overall character of the development and the local area and central to our vision.
The application will be determined by National Park Authority in due course.
Traffic and Transport
With sustainability at the heart of the proposed development, all visitors will be encouraged to leave their car behind and use sustainable means of travel.
Traffic arriving at Lomond Banks will be managed to ensure the proposed parking areas are utilised effectively and pedestrian movement is incentivised and promoted throughout the site especially between Lomond Shores into Balloch.
Through the ‘Lomond Promise’, the developer will put a strong focus on traffic and transport plans over the coming years, joining forces with WDC and LLTNPA to support a sustainable travel plan, and actively encourage other means of transport.
Further summer traffic analysis demonstrates there will be a minimal increase of cars as a result of the proposed development. Day visitors to Lomond Banks will be encouraged to travel on public transport to the resort and long-stay visitors will be encouraged to park up once and explore the area by active travel and public transport.
The recent summer traffic assessment indicates that traffic impact will be low. Traffic statistics show that there will be a small and acceptable increase in traffic numbers at key junctions in the vicinity of the proposal at peak time periods.
The statistics show that the existing junctions will continue to operate well within their capacity when the proposed development would be in operation.
There will be no set arrival and departure times to avoid any ‘peak moments’ of traffic build up, with accommodation guests booking in advance will be offered incentives to travel outwith peak times.
Notwithstanding this, an agreement has been reached between Lomond Banks and Transport Scotland in the form of a Section 48 agreement, to contribute towards and help prioritise planned improvements by Transport Scotland which is already looking to improve the efficiency of Stoneymollan Roundabout. A further agreement confirming in principle to support West Dunbartonshire Council with ongoing issues at the McDonald’s roundabout, should the development plans progress.
Ecology & Sustainability
Ecology
Lomond Banks is committed to creating a sustainable world-class resort that celebrates the wildlife and biodiversity of Loch Lomond.
Extensive ecological evaluations have been undertaken for the planning submission to ensure a considered approach to the development and protection of the surrounding environment so that the natural beauty of the site can be celebrated for many generations to come.
Surveys indicated summer roosting bats within areas of the site, and suitability for hibernation, so the planning submission will ensure the bats can be accommodated moving forward. Further ecological surveys may also be required at the detailed design stage (depending on timing) and the specified mitigation measures for badgers, otters, red squirrel, bats and nesting birds will be required to be implemented in advance of any construction.
With Flamingo Land’s renowned conservation background, they are committed to improving the biodiversity of the area and the independent survey results found that increasing, enhancing and managing water quality and the connectivity of appropriate vegetation along watercourses could help to support future habitats within the site boundary.
Sustainability
Lomond Banks has set out an ambition to become Scotland’s first “Whole Life Zero Carbon Resort” and while developing its planning submission, energy specialists, Third Energy, have identified suitable measures which can be designed into the development to decarbonise and reduce its reliance on traditional fossil fuel-based generation of heat and power.
Lomond Banks propose to incorporate net zero concepts into every stage of development including:
- Working with local businesses throughout construction and operation to keep the supply chain as local as possible, to stimulate the local economy and reduce emissions generated through the movement and transport of goods
- The use of modern materials to promote low energy use including superinsulation
- Mechanical ventilation and airflow
- LED lighting and smart controls
- Turnstile entrances to buildings to minimise heat loss
- Inert gas triple glazing
- Battery storage and energy management systems
- Electric site vehicles, electric monorail and EV charging stations