Councillors will be asked to ignore objections to plans for more than 1,000 new houses in and around Helensburgh tomorrow (Tuesday).
Argyll and Bute Council’s Local Development Plan, due to come into force in October this year, says that the new homes are needed to counter a falling population.
There were hundreds of objections, from residents and some community councils, to the designations in Helensburgh, Rhu, Shandon and Cardross.
But tomorrow members of the council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee will be recommended by officials to ignore the objections and proceed so as to avoid delays.
Sites which have proved particularly controversial include Rhu Marina – a masterplan for this site was rejected in August after objections by more than 1,000 local people but it is still designated for high density housing.
Cardross has seen a number of new housing developments and is now said to have a population of 2,000 – but more than 300 new homes are proposed for the village.
Objections to the housing zones at Kirkston and Geilston farms are discounted for a number of reasons, including the claim that people in the village will be able to use a newly constructed cyclepath to commute to Faslane.
There have also been many objections to plans for 300 houses at Helensburgh Golf Club and a total of 120 houses at Blairvadach in Shandon, where the council plans to vacate its B-listed offices next year, transferring staff into Helensburgh.
The total planned housing allocations for Helensburgh and Lomond are below:
- Helensburgh Golf Club – 300 housing units
- Cardross, Kirkton Farm – 158
- Cardross, Geilston Farm – 146
- Helensburgh, Sawmill Field, Cardross Road – 145
- Helensburgh, former Hermitage Academy site – 160 in two segments
- Shandon, Blairvadach – 64
- Shandon, Blairvadach House – 60
- Ardencaple – 60
- Garelochhead, Station Road – 24
- Garelochhead, Smithfield – 8
In other areas, such as Ardpeaton on the Rosneath Peninsula, Ardoch and Bloomhill in Cardross, objectors have been unsuccessful in requesting land to be designated for housing.
The planned total is 1,125 for the Helensburgh and Lomond area and 4,666 for Argyll and Bute as a whole.
Tomorrow’s meeting starts at 12 noon in the Victoria Halls, Helensburgh; a report to the members stresses that a Reporter appointed by the Scottish Government will still see all the unresolved objections.
The agenda and background documents are available here.
Details of the local development plan are available on the council website here.
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