A DEVELOPER has said a move to build houses on the banks of Loch Lomond had wider community backing after claims it could "devastate" Scotland's most famous long distance walking route.
It comes after some Balmaha residents warned the 96-mile West Highland Way from Milngavie to Fort William, which attracts more than 80,000 walkers every year generating £3.5million annually, would be under threat if the homes plan goes ahead.
However, Tony Teasdale, director of the Rural Stirling Housing Association which lodged the plan, said it has the backing of villagers and the wider community for the proposed development of 22 houses on the five acre woodland site.
Read more: West Highland Way 'threatened' by controversial housing development
Mr Teasdale respond to claims by Professor Dino Jaroszynski, chairman of the Balmaha Biodiversity Community Action (BBCA) group, who said: “The ancient woodland in Balmaha is extremely valuable, not just as one of the jewels in the crown of the West Highland Way, but as a genuine environmental concern."
He defended claims homes would destroy the habitat that helped give Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park its status as one of the main tourist draws to the area.
Mr Teasdale said: "We believe that impact on the views from the West Highland Way would be insignificant."
He added: "Our plans are the result of close consultation with the community which first approached us for assistance to meet local housing needs in 2003.
Read more: West Highland Way 'threatened' by controversial housing development
"The current plans have been worked up in detail over this period in conjunction with a Panel of local folk all put forward by Buchanan Community Council, which includes Balmaha.
He claimed it does not pass near the development and it would sit in woodland and be" shielded from view on all sides by the trees".
Sandy Fraser, owner of the oak Tree Inn in Balmaha, said: “ I strongly support the proposal for new homes to meet the needs of people who live and work in the area.”
Read more: West Highland Way 'threatened' by controversial housing development
Dr Joel Milner, Reader in Plant Pathology at the University of Glasgow, said: "Unlike areas of forestry elsewhere in the surrounding area which were at least in part ancient woodland and a valuable habitat prior to the post-war planting of conifer trees, the site at Balmaha would not rapidly regenerate to its post-glaciation natural mixed deciduous oak cover and the proposed housing development should not be held back for such reasons."
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel