FURIOUS residents of a quiet Helensburgh cul-de-sac say Argyll and Bute Council still isn't listening to their concerns over plans to build a car park close to their homes.

Diggers have moved on to the site next to Redgauntlet Road to begin work on creating parking spaces for the nearby clubhouse used by Helensburgh Amateur Athletics Club.

But people living in the street have accused the council of riding roughshod over their claim that part of the land to be built on is included in the title deeds for their homes.

The land lies next to the site of the old Hermitage Academy, recently sold by the council to Taylor Wimpey for a development of 95 homes – though the terms of the sale, and how much the site was sold for, are being kept confidential.

But an online petition calling on the council to scrap its plans accuses the authority of “corporate arrogance” and “land grabbing”.

Redgauntlet Road resident John Scullion, who launched the petition, said: “They intend to commandeer the grass verge which is our property, clearly shown on all of our title deeds, to push an access road over it into the Athletic Club.

“This development is totally unnecessary as there are ample alternative routes available.

“It would seem however, that the council are bending over backwards to accommodate the developers and totally ignoring their constituents in a desperate attempt to get this site off their hands at any cost.”

Sharon Rice, who also lives in Redgauntlet Road, added: "I have no objection to the new housing development or the athletics club having the car park. My issue is the car park entrance and the fact there is more than one other viable site that this could be placed.

"I have lost all faith in Argyll and Bute Council and I am extremely angry that we have all been ignored and the way that the council have just come in and taken our land from us.

"If they decide to extend the road further will they then come and build in my garden, as that is also adjacent to a public road? Where does it stop?"

Planning permission for the car park was granted by the council's planning committee in June 2016, while Taylor Wimpey's application to develop the old Academy site was given the green light five months later.

Argyll and Bute Council considered a report on the former Academy site in September – but the item was debated behind closed doors.

The minutes of that meeting state that the council “agreed to the recommendations in the report”, and added that members “congratulated the Head of Facility Services and the team working on this for all their hard work in securing the deal”.

After the minutes of September's meeting were published, Argyll and Bute Council said that “negotiations with a prospective purchaser are ongoing” but declined to reveal how much the site was sold for.

A council spokesman said: “We can reassure local residents that all views were taken into account during the neighbour consultation process when the planning application was being considered.

“The application has met all necessary requirements and any required conditions put in place. No changes have been made to the development since the application was determined and it is moving forward as previously scheduled.

“The grassed area is part of the road verge and under the control and management of the council as roads authority. This is in accordance with the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.

“Negotiations are still ongoing regarding the sale of the site. Work on the car park has now started.”