A PLANNING application for 10 industrial units near Helensburgh has been submitted to Argyll and Bute Council.

The applicant, Mark Mundie, made the proposal recently to build units, install a septic tank and add car parking facilities at the Claddoch Centre site near Ardmore Point.

Mr Mundie told the Advertiser: “For the last 10 years we have had local businesses wanting local storage facilities and we have been toying with the idea and decided to go for it.

“We are hopeful that the community council will support it. We think a smaller development like this will be a benefit for the town because there’s nowhere else to go.

“We have local business owners on a weekly and monthly basis looking for premises so now we can provide it.”

The brownfield site is west of the Helensburgh-to-Glasgow railway line and can be accessed via Moss Road.

Helenburgh Community Council discussed these plans at their meeting last week and decided they had no objections.

HCC member Roger Clarke said: “We have no objections to the proposed used for light industrial purposes. There is already light industry going on at the site.”

The application’s supporting statement added: “For the last few decades the towns of Helensburgh and Cardross have been very limited in the number of industrial properties that were available to local companies and this has been confirmed by each of the Local Plan reviews.

“Over the years the Chamber of Commerce, the community councils and similar bodies have also commented on the need to identify suitable areas for new development to accommodate existing and incoming companies thereby ensuring the resultant employment opportunities and expenditure remain within the district.”

A spokeswoman for the Helensburgh and Lomond Chamber of Commerce said: “The proposed siting and execution of this development appears to be designed with minimum impact in mind.

“We can only welcome the provision of much needed light industrial capacity as an addition to the facilities available in the area.

“We assume that in considering the application, planning officers will take full account of any risks that might be involved in additional traffic crossing the railway lines.”

The site has previously been used for temporary offices with yard areas and secure vehicle and plant storage.

If the plans go ahead, the developers also plan to add car park facilities for staff and visitors.

The supporting statement added: “Each unit will measure 10m by 10m, with some being doubled up for flexibility of use and will have an enclosed storage yard to the front alongside a roller shutter doorway. Internally each will have staff kitchen and toilet facilities.

“The use of dark green coloured sheeting akin to that of the Scottish Water premises will also suggest a typical agricultural building in a semi-rural setting and as such should not look out of place.”