PLANS for a parking area for five vehicles at a Helensburgh town centre site are to be continued after councillors expressed concerns over visibility.

David McKerrow’s proposals for the site at 17-19 West Clyde Street have attracted 22 objections from the public, as well as two expressions of support.

Despite those numbers, an Argyll and Bute Council planning officer had recommended that councillors give planning permission for the application, part of which is retrospective.

However, the area’s provost expressed concerns that traffic using the proposed lane would not be able to see oncoming vehicles clearly.

And the authority’s planning, protective services and licensing committee decided unanimously to continue to the application at its virtual meeting on Wednesday, October 20.

A handling report in advance of the meeting said: “The proposal is for the formation of a parking court area for five vehicles within the existing walled rear curtilage of a listed building located within the Helensburgh Conservation Area.

“Physical works comprise the removal of a section of wall along the rear boundary of the curtilage to form an opening onto a private access road on adjacent land.

“A three-metre-long section of wall has been removed prior to this application. It is noted that the area roads engineer has advised that this opening should be increased to a minimum of 3.7 metres to provide adequate visibility. It is also proposed to install a sliding metal gate across this opening.

“Lastly, it is proposed to surface the existing grassed rear yard with pavers and mark it out with five parking bays to one side of an aisle aligned with the gateway.”

Helensburgh and Lomond South Conservative Councillor David Kinniburgh told the meeting: “In the report, it says that the roads engineer has advised that the opening should be increased to 3.7 metres.

“It doesn’t matter to me whether it is 3m or 3.7m – it does not give adequate visibility because of the height of the wall.”

A council planning officer replied: “I don’t think it does increase visibility, but that raises a lot of other issues.”

Provost Kinniburgh also had it confirmed to him that a written agreement would be required prior to any work being carried out, and that this was a civil matter.

Lomond North Independent Councillor George Freeman then said: “There are some concerns over this. Anybody who knows Helensburgh knows there are a number of lanes running into back courts, but this one is slightly different.

“What it looks to do is create a car park for a business, which I assume will generate more movement than most other access lanes and across the main footpath adjacent to West Clyde Street.

“This is one of the busiest footpaths in Helensburgh and there would be no visibility of cars coming out of that area.

“That would cause some concerns and it may well be that if Councillor Kinniburgh is looking to continue the process, a site visit may be very helpful.”

The provost then said: “The photos that we have represent the site well enough. I do know the site particularly well and there are issues accessing it, as I visited it yesterday (Tuesday) morning when there was a refuse lorry there.

“I do not feel a site visit is required. Based on what I had raised previously, I would like to move continuation to allow an officer to come back to have questions put to them on the report we have before us. Then we can suggest anything that might alleviate concerns.”

The committee unanimously agreed to continue the application to at least its next meeting on Wednesday, November 17. A separate application for listed building consent was also continued.