Two separate plans for a total of nearly 300 houses in and around Helensburgh could get the go-ahead today.
And proposals to turn a former hotel in Cardross into a Co-op supermarket are also expected to be approved by Argyll and Bute Council’s planning, protective services and licensing committee.
Plans by Avant Homes to build an estimated 140 houses a site off Darleith Road in Cardross are recommended for approval, but planning officials say a local discretionary hearing may be held because there have been 20 local objections, including one from MSP Jackie Baillie.
The site was zoned for housing in the council’s Local Development Plan, but the village’s community council has raised concerns, while Argyll and Bute’s own education service has warned that there ‘could be an issue with capacity’ at the village primary school ‘should every house be purchased by families’.
This plan is an ‘in principle’ application, so limited detail are available at this stage, and the same applies to proposals by Cala Homes for housing at the Sawmill Field, east of Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh.
This plan – for a site which the report says is owned by an unnamed local councillor, and which is allocated for 145 houses – is recommended for immediate approval, despite Helensburgh Community Council attacking the ‘ghettoisation’ of the affordable housing element and saying Cala developments are characterised by ‘bland, could-be- anywhere uniformity’.
Plans by the Co-operative to partially demolish the Muirholm Hotel in Cardross and convert it into a shop led to nine objections, as well as a 28-signature petition, with concerns over the impact on local businesses which are already suffering because of Waitrose in Helensburgh.
Nevertheless it is recommended for approval, subject to conditions including the submission of an acceptable landscaping plan.
A site in Rahane – also owned by a councillor, Robert MacIntyre in this case – may see five new homes being built, but councillors are recommended to delay their decision.
The agenda report features a discussion about whether the applicant should provide a pavement, with his agent stating: “It would appear that the previous inconsistencies and ambiguity in respect to the matter of pavement provision along Peaton Road remains unclear and fundamentally unresolved.
“It is therefore inappropriate and indeed unfair to effectively burden our client with adopting responsibility for the above legacy by way of imposing legal condition(s).”
The agent also complains about the delays in processing the application, claiming ‘ it is very disappointing on various fronts that at the critical culmination of this 10 month period, we have been afforded only four working days to respond and have been asked to do so ASAP..
The agent argues that this shows ‘a complete disregard’ for his client’s (Cllr MacIntyre’s) position.
The plan had been recommended for approval, but after the complaints by Cllr MacIntyre’s agent this was changed to a recommendation to defer for further discussion about the issue of whether a pavement should be required.
When Cllr Macintyre was chair of Rosneath & Clynder CC he was very much in favour of foot paths being put in the Rahane / Peaton area due to road safety for pedestrians and others ,don’t see any good reason in this case to have the condition removed five houses could have a quite a few children going for school buses etc.