Visitors to Loch Lomond Shores will soon face charges to park at the popular attraction after plans to install ANPR cameras and barriers were approved.

Plans to introduce parking charges at a popular shopping centre on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond have been approved.

The proposals for Loch Lomond Shores were given the green light by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Planning Authority this week.

Four pole-mounted cameras, for automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) use will be installed, as well as two barriers, pay on exit machines and ‘pay and display’ machines with shelters.

When the plans were submitted last year, bosses at Loch Lomond Shores blamed the move on increased costs after the Covid pandemic and ‘a need to continue funding maintenance and improvements’ at the visitor attraction.

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The charges set to be introduced range from 50p for half an hour to £4 for a full day.

The charges will be as follows: 50p for up to 30 mins; £1 for up to 2 hours; £2 for up to 4 hours; and £4 for all day.

Management said that research showed 75-per cent of visitors stay for an average of an hour and 45 minutes.

Commenting on the introduction of car park charges last December, a representative from the proprietors at Loch Lomond Shores said: “It has been a difficult decision to make as we understand that free parking is a popular part of our offering for our visitors.

“However, after much research, analysis and discussion, their introduction is a necessity to maintain and improve the visitor experience here at Loch Lomond Shores going forward.

“Our site covers 44 acres and has a diverse environment including woodland, beaches, large external pedestrian areas, walkways, playpark and retail buildings – all of which require constant specialist maintenance year-round.

“Our team works hard to maintain all of this but, the cost of maintenance, repairs and improvements has sky-rocketed post-Covid and, if we want to continue being a high-quality visitor attraction, we must find a way to fund all of these going forward.

“So, while this decision has been difficult, it is a way of safeguarding its future and allows us to continue to not only maintain but improve what we offer our visitors.”

All money raised by the introduction of the charges will be reinvested back in to Loch Lomond Shores, as well as to help businesses who are also seeing the impact of rising costs.

Explaining the decision to approve the move, National Park planners said: “The proposed infrastructure is in accordance with the Local Development Plan as it has no significant adverse impacts on visual amenity and road or pedestrian safety.

“The final siting of the infrastructure should be secured by condition to ensure it remains subservient to the site.”

The plans received 15 objections from opponents to the plans.

Those objections included complaints over parking restrictions having ‘significant negative repercussions for the surrounding areas’; parking restrictions leading to the ‘displacement of traffic and create congestion on surrounding roads and parking areas’; the proposals restricting free access to the beach area and children’s facilities.

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