BID To Overturn Killochend Drive Flats Refusal

Friday, 03 February 2012 |

INVERCLYDE Council is being challenged over another of its decisions to refuse a housing development.

Ecos Construction have appealed to the Scottish Government over Inverclyde Planning Board’s rejection of a proposal to build 31 flats at Killochend Drive, Greenock.

In October, the board voted to refuse saying the development was out of character with the surrounding housing estate and that there was no overspill parking.

Planning officials had recommended approval for the development which was to be L-shaped and mainly three-storeys high, with 52 parking spaces. There were about 80 objections to the plan.

Agents for Ecos insist that the flats would be in keeping with the area which they say has a variety of buildings. Their grounds-of-appeal document states: “Within a 140-metre radius of the application site there is a varied mix of two-storey detached, semi-detached and terraced houses, three-storey and four–storey tenements, a large cruciform-shaped two-storey nursing home and a single storey shop unit."

They also point out that the parking spaces provided meet council guidelines.

A Government-appointed inspector will visit the site before giving his verdict.

Councillor Charlie McCallum told the board’s meeting in October: “We have found in other areas of Greenock that tenements don’t work. High density housing brings problems. This will bring the estate to its knees.”

Earlier this week River Clyde Homes announced it would appeal against the planning board’s decision to refuse an application for houses at the former Springfield School site in Larkfield, Greenock. Click for story