Campsite go-ahead

Concerns over flood risk

Plans for a campsite in Aberfoyle have been granted conditional approval despite concerns the site could be at risk of flooding.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park’s planning committee conditionally approved the application, submitted by the authority itself, to turn land at the The Lochs Drive Campsite, near Aberfoyle, into a formal campsite including two toilet blocks, two storage buildings, footpaths and parking facilities.

The site, on the shores of Loch Achray, was said to already be an established camping area, but the authority wants to formalise the site and extend it to form a larger campsite with 17 designated pitches.

SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) had, however, objected in principle saying the site as designated could be at medium to high risk of flooding.

Among conditions attached to the approval, however, is that a detailed construction method statement be submitted before the work begins, with SEPA being included in the consultation.

The proposal forms part of the National Park’s ‘Your Park’ programme. It includes four management zones - affecting 3.7 per cent of the park - which will themselves include provision of at least 300 low-cost camping places through new and improved camping facilities, and permits to allow informal lochshore camping at “sustainable levels”.

New seasonal camping management byelaws came into force in March this year and will run from March 1 to September 30 annually in a bid to regular camping, tackle antisocial behaviour and make it an offence to cause damage to the park’s natural environment.

Subject to consent, new camping sites are being created across four management zones with Loch Chon, the first camping site under the ‘Your Park’ banner, becoming operational in March this year.

Park planners said: “The principle of the Three Lochs Drive Campsite development is supported as it relates to a small scale tourism development and is supported by spatial development strategy of the Local Development Plan. The visual and physical impact of the development will not be significant.

“It would represent a minor departure to natural environment policy as the site is located within an area of medium to high flood risk. Notwithstanding this is it considered that given the longstanding use of part of the site for camping, and the fact a comprehensive risk management strategy would be in place, it is considered that an exceptional approval is justified.”