COMMUNITY councillors in Helensburgh have hit out at Argyll and Bute Council’s future development framework for the town.

Members of Helensburgh Community Council (HCC) discussed the proposals in the local authority’s Local Development Plan 2 (LDP2) when they met in the town last week

And the meeting was told that the LDP2’s plans for Helensburgh were almost exactly the same as in the last local development plan, which came into effect in 2015.

HCC member Nigel Millar said: “On the surface, visually, it’s different to the 2015 one, but the content is basically the same.

READ MORE: Plan sets out vision for up to 1,000 new Helensburgh homes

“I’m particularly interested in the housing allocation: as far as I can see, there has been no change to what was contained in the 2015 plan.

“There are marginal changes to ‘potential development areas’, and to ‘areas for action’, but it appears there are no substantial new initiatives as far as Helensburgh is concerned.”

Argyll and Bute Council’s ‘wish list’ for the area in the next decade includes almost 1,000 homes, a hotel at Craigendoran, and leisure and tourism developments at Rhu Marina and Rosneath.

Potential sites for housing include the Sawmill Field on Cardross Road (bottom left in the above picture), ‘Helensburgh – Ardencaple’ (top right), and ‘Hermitage 2’ (bottom right).

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Mr Millar continued: “‘Hermitage 2’ is the Taylor Wimpey site, which is well on the way to completion. ‘Hermitage 1’ [top left] was the Dunbritton housing site on Cardross Road.

“And the development at Ardencaple is almost finished.”

Vice-convener Peter Brown responded: “Isn’t it strange to include ‘future housing developments’ in the plan that are in fact almost finished?”

Roger Clarke said: “Two thirds of the Taylor Wimpey site is complete. And by the time the LDP process is done, it will probably be finished.

“Why include it in the plan if it’s complete?”

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Mr Millar added: “Even though there’s nothing new in the plan we’re free to propose new sites should we wish to do so.”

A council spokeswoman said: “We welcome views on the proposed Local Development Plan 2 through our consultation, which can be completed on our website (argyll-bute.gov.uk/ldp2#docs).

“Alternatively, please contact ldp@argyll-bute.gov.uk for more information or you can talk to one of our planners at a drop-in event, at Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre, on Tuesday, December 10 from 3-7pm.”

The LDP consultation runs until Thursday, January 23.

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