A national park is taking enforcement action against unscrupulous landowners marketing plots which are not suitable for development.
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority says buyers from the UK and overseas are being attracted to cheap land offered for sale unaware of the planning restrictions they face.
It has been forced to use powers to physically remove some of the buildings and other infrastructure illegally installed.
Stuart Mearns, director of place at the authority said: “We are concerned and frustrated by this continuing trend across the National Park.
“We strongly urge vigilance from buyers. If a sale notice seems too good to be true, we encourage buyers to seek their own professional advice or from our planning staff before purchasing.
“We are also seeing a trend where some owners realising the land is not suitable for development, then seek to sell the land on. In one case, this has been with the creation of further smaller plots.”
The National Park Authority has taken a zero-tolerance approach towards unauthorised development activity.
Police were brought in to help deal with a static caravan and associated access works at Stroneslaney Road, Balquhidder requiring their removal as the owner failed to heed all previous requests to do so.
However, despite public warnings and enforcement action on such unlawful activity on nearby land in 2022, the situation has escalated, and local people have faced “intimidating” behaviour.
In the Balquhidder area alone, land previously under single ownership has been subdivided into approximately 45 plots, each attractively priced from £7,000, but each one likely to face planning obstacles.
“While we are proactively engaging with new owners and seeing development works removed, in some cases unfortunately there are some that are not heeding our warnings,” said Mr Mearns.
“This unauthorised activity raises serious concerns including in respect of pollution, risk to environmental designations and unsafe road access.
“These plots of land are very unlikely to receive planning permission given they are in typically within the countryside and sited on flood plains on environmentally sensitive or protected landscape and typically have no formal access or infrastructure.
“If those enforcement notices we issue are not complied with, we will not hesitate in utilising our statutory powers, including options that are a last resort such as forcibly removing any structures.”
The Park Authority has also reported an increase in complaints from the public, neighbouring landowners and community organisations in the Balquidder, Crainlarich and Gartocharn areas – raising concerns about compliance issues and seeking reassurance about planning processes..
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