A Helensburgh community councillor is getting set visit the Scottish Parliament to hear MSPs debate his petition.

Stewart Noble will take a trip to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, May 1 to hear the parliament's citizen participation and public petitions committee consider his plea for planning decisions to be made more locally.

The petition, submitted on behalf of Helensburgh Community Council, asks the Scottish Parliament to define the word ‘local’ in relation to planning applications at a local government level.

Stewart said: “I would like to see councillors from Helensburgh and the surrounding area be included prominently [in local planning decisions].

“I plan to go through to the Scottish Parliament and be there myself, but I’m hoping we will get a favourable hearing.”

The petition comes after community council members expressed concern at Argyll and Bute councillors from other areas being able to make decisions on contentious planning applications, sometimes against locals' wishes.

Planning decisions are made by Argyll and Bute Council’s planning, protective services and licensing committee (PPSL) which is made up of councillors from across the region.

With the council area being so large, councillors from far away communities such as Bute, Dunoon, and Oban are able to make decisions on Helensburgh planning applications.

However, this is the case in every Scottish local authority, as councillors from across each area serve on committees to make planning decisions.

HCC members also remarked that they were concerned about councillors from areas such as Bute and Dunoon’s ability to make it to each site visit as weather can affect travelling.

Dumbarton constituency MSP Jackie Baillie backed the petition after initially giving her support to the community council last year.

Ms Baillie said: “I support Helensburgh Community Council’s bid to ensure that planning decisions which are taken are made with local views at their heart.

“The make-up of Argyll and Bute Council can mean that councillors are making a judgement on matters where they have minimal knowledge of the area’s geography and local concerns, which can hamper good decision making.

“I understand the frustrations of the community council and that they just want to ensure that decisions are being made in the community’s best interest.

"I hope the Scottish Government will get behind this as I am sure this would also help other areas across Scotland.”

A representative for Argyll and Bute Council said: “Our Local Development Plan (LDP) sets out land use across Argyll and Bute and underpins the planning process.

"Community councils have the opportunity to influence the content as part of extensive public consultations.

"Planning committee members cover the whole of Argyll and Bute. These include councillors from the Helensburgh and Lomond area.

"Community councils are statutory consultees for applications in their geographic area, along with a number of other statutory consultees.”

There are currently 15 councillors on the PPSL committee, including four from Helensburgh and Lomond - Graham Hardie (Liberal Democrat, Helensburgh Central), Fiona Howard (Labour, Helensburgh Central), Mark Irvine (Independent, Lomond North) and Paul Kennedy (Liberal Democrat, Helensburgh and Lomond South).