Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority has granted consent for a major housing scheme on land north of Gartness Road in Drymen, covering 6.77 hectares.

The Planning & Access Committee backed the application unanimously, advancing a site long earmarked for housing and securing a range of community benefits alongside the new homes.

Applicant Springfield M&M Homes Limited will deliver 65 houses — 43 for the open market and 22 affordable — together with an extended public car park, new public toilets and recycling facilities.

The plans also include native landscaping to boost biodiversity and provide additional access and recreation opportunities for both residents and visitors.

Claire Chapman, Planning & Access Committee Chair said: “The approval of this significant housing development on land that has been identified for housing for many years is a positive step forward for the local community and the wider area. This permission will deliver a multitude of benefits which extend beyond a much-needed boost to local housing availability.

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“Permission for this application took into consideration local sensitivities and the need to deliver positive outcomes without placing pressure on local services, infrastructure, the surrounding landscape and biodiversity of the area. This decision also reflects priorities identified by residents through their own Local Place Plan, demonstrating how community led planning can help to deliver positive placed-based change for people and nature in the National Park.”

The decision comes as the Authority prepares to pilot a new Local Development and Land Use Plan (LDLUP), the first in Scotland to integrate planning and land use, informed by Local Place Plans, an evidence report and a forthcoming public consultation.

Covering 2028–2038, the LDLUP will guide where development should and should not occur, and how land across the National Park is used, managed and protected to achieve the best outcomes for nature, climate and people.

Responsibility for delivering the Drymen project now sits with the applicant. Approval is subject to a Section 75 legal agreement and a series of conditions to ensure all planning requirements are met.