Brought forward by Flamingo Land, the £40 million proposal seeks to create a high-quality tourism and recreation-led destination at West Riverside and Woodbank House, comprising of hotel and holiday accommodation, combined with family-orientated leisure activities.

Members of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority Board agreed that the decision on the application will be taken by the board on that date, following a site visit and public hearing.

Given the high level of public interest in the application, careful consideration is being given to the arrangements for the hearing, which will be held at a suitable venue locally in Balloch. Further details will be published on the National Park Authority website in advance.

A spokesperson for the National Park Authority said: “This application has not yet been decided. No position has yet been taken in support of or against this planning application. However, with high levels of public interest, we felt it would be useful to set out as early as possible the process for taking a decision.

“Officers now have all the information required to assess the application and that assessment will continue between now and September. All submitted documents, consultee responses and representations from the public are being considered as part of the assessment.

“Once the assessment phase has concluded, a report will be published that includes a recommendation to Board Members that they either approve or refuse the application. That report will be published on the National Park Authority website in early September, in advance of the Board meeting.

“Once the report has been published, those who have submitted formal comments on the application will be notified and given details on how they can request to speak at the public hearing.”

More detailed information on the precise timings of these steps will be published closer to the time of the hearing and Special Board Meeting.

The National Park Authority is the statutory planning authority for the National Park area.

Under planning law, a planning authority must process and consider the planning applications it receives. It is then the duty of the planning authority to make an objective assessment of the proposal and to make a decision on whether to approve or refuse the application.

The development is to comprise of:

• Refurbished tourist information building
• Up to 60-bedroom apartment-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.