Plans to extend car park at beauty spot
Parking woes at a west Stirlingshire beauty spot could be helped by plans to extend a car park.
Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park planners have approved an application by Forestry and Land Scotland to extend Ben A’an car park at Loch Achray near Brig O’Turk and upgrade vehicular access.
The car park serves the popular hillwalking route up Ben A’An and lies on the south side of the A821 west of Tigh Mor, Ben A’an and Brenachoile Woods Site of Special Scientific Interrest – which lies around 300 metres to the west. Loch Achray forms part of the River Teith Special Area of Conservation.
The existing car park has capacity for around 30 cars but no spaces are marked out and cars often park on side verges, with up to 45 cars using the site.
The proposal seeks to extend southwest to increase capacity to a total of 70 spaces.
In their decision, park planners said: “Whilst providing additional parking is not sustainable, the proposal relates to the relatively small scale expansion of an existing car park which is under significant pressure during busy periods.
“When the car park reaches capacity cars park on the main road and the nearby spur road to Loch Katrine.
“This has resulted in congestion and safety issues on the local road network. The proposal aims to alleviate existing pressures on the car park and the locality.
“The proposals are part of a wider group of projects by the applicant and other stakeholders within the area to address visitor management issues (car parking demand and littering).
“Trossachs Community Council support the proposal and welcome this attempt to alleviate the parking issues seen at Ben A’an and look forward to having this facility in operation as soon as possible.”
Two letters of representation had been submitted raising points including: the proposal is welcomed to address an urgent need in parking shortfall; additional car parking provision is urgently needed on visitor safety grounds; the inclusion of provision for a shuttle bus pull-in and secure bike parking is welcome; and the project will make a very positive contribution to improving visitor management at a key location on the Trossachs Trail.
The planners added: “The applicants have confirmed a commitment to provide a lay-by for a bus stop at a later date and this will be subject to a separate application (it is an aspiration for stakeholders that the site will served by sustainable modes of transport in the future).
“The car park extension will extend south-westwards into an area of open marshy grass area between two linear tree belts.
“An existing soil bund defining the edge of the car park will be removed to accommodate the extension. The car park will be of crushed stone construction with a stone dust finish. Parking bays will be marked by treated timber bay markers located at the verge.
“The area around Ben A’an, Loch Achray and Loch Katrine is a wellestablished tourist destination and the proposal will support the improvement of this popular tourist area by providing improved parking.
“Although the proposal will result in the loss of a very small area of open habitat within the nature reserve, the sensitive extension of the existing car park will enable more visitors to access and enjoy this part.”
The proposals will result in the removal of our alder trees, however, additional tree planting is proposed and is considered to be acceptable mitigation.
“The application has been supported by a Landscape and Visual Impact Appraisal that assesses the development from five viewpoints including the A821 and the Ben A’an hill path.
“The new car park will be principally screened from the north and east by existing mature trees. From the west (on the Duke’s Pass) there will be views of the car park – but localised due to the landscape mitigation that will take place at the loch shore.
“The landscaping plan will substantially reduce the visual impact of additional cars. Although during construction there will be a ‘medium to high’ magnitude of change, this will lessen to ‘low to negligible’ once the landscaping is established.”