PLANS are set to be lodged with council chiefs this week for a new business park and family pub/restaurant at the east end of Helensburgh.

Iceni Projects is hoping to develop a new business park adjacent to the town’s currently vacant former Waitrose supermarket.

Pearson Property Promotions plans to develop two office buildings and a family pub and restaurant, with associated car parking and infrastructure.

When the plans were unveiled in January, the company said the proposed development could create "hundreds of jobs" in the area.

The original plans for the site also contained a 60-bed hotel, but that element of the proposals was dropped before a public consultation event on the development in February.

READ MORE: Development plans for site next to Waitrose 'could be major boost for Helensburgh'

The site, on the south side of the A814 Helensburgh-Dumbarton road, is directly opposite the Sawmill Field, where housing developer Bellway hopes to build 145 new homes, and is close to Hermitage Academy.

Morrisons is due to move into the former home of Waitrose later in 2020.

Rhu-based architect Malcolm Pearson, who is behind the plans for the business park, said: “This is the first stage of, what we hope, will be a successful development that will be of economic benefit to the town.

“Part of the site is within a flood plain so our hydrologists (Kaya Consultancy) and architects (Mosaic) have been working on a scheme that addresses these issues.

READ MORE: Hotel plan dropped from major development proposals for the east end of Helensburgh

“The flood risk assessment can be accessed on the local authority’s planning portal. The modelling has resulted in a much restricted development area.

“If the current application is successful we will submit a further application for detailed planning consent for phase 1, which will comprise 60,000sqft of office space.

“We hope to be on site in early 2021 with completion 12 months later. This will provide space for a workforce of 400 to 600 people.

“There is demand locally for good quality modern offices and there are none available in the town.

READ MORE: 'Lack of demand' blamed as developers scrap plans for new 60-bed hotel in Helensburgh

“In fact, there has been virtually no speculative ‘out of town’ office development in Central Scotland since the Maxim development at Eurocentral 10 years ago.”

The site lies a short distance away from another major recent housing development at the east end of the town, undertaken by Taylor Wimpey and Dunbritton Housing Association on the site of the former Hermitage Academy.

Mr Pearson added: “The family pub and restaurant will provide additional jobs and amenity within walking distance for the existing population, new businesses in the park, and the 1,000 or so new residents that will have moved to this area (Dunbritton Housing Association, Taylor Wimpey and Bellway).

“We would welcome any support for this application, which can be uploaded on the planning portal or directly to Argyll and Bute Council planning department.”

READ MORE: Click here for all the latest news headlines from around Helensburgh and Lomond