A HELENSBURGH businessman who wants to expand his car repair company has accused council planning officials of threatening the viability of his firm by U-turning over a planning application.
Lenny Donnelly, who runs a Land Rover repair business, LCS Engineering, from a base in Lomond Street, wants to move his business to a former water works in Dumbarton.
Mr Donnelly says the planning department at West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) told him to expect approval for his plans for the Garshake Road site by the end of August.
But while an official was preparing a report recommending approval of the application, a single objection was lodged raising concerns about development in the town's green belt.
That, Mr Donnelly claims, led the council to ask him for more information about his plans – and even to suggest that the application might be refused.
Mr Donnelly now says he has begun clearing the site – after spending thousands of pounds improving it – and that he'll walk away completely if there's no decision by the end of next month.
He told the Advertiser: “The council has basically done a complete backflip.
“I was told the officer dealing with it was away to write a recommendation for approval. But someone has put in an objection while he was away doing it, and they’re now considering refusing it.
“The site was derelict before I took it on. I’ve put about £40,000-£50-000 into the place, making it safe and secure and doing a whole load of work on it, but because it’s in the green belt they now seem to want to turn away a local business that wants to invest.
“There are other industrial buildings in the area which are in the green belt too, and there are already articulated lorries and other HGVs using the road.
“I’ve already started clearing materials away from the site – that’ll take me until about the end of November, and if I haven’t got planning approval by then, I’ll walk away from it."
Emails between Mr Donnelly and his agent, Michael Hyde of MH Planning Associates in Helensburgh, state that a decision was expected by August 27.
But on September 6 the WDC official dealing with the case told Mr Hyde that a single objection had been received, and that “additional justification and information is required to progress forward with the application”.
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The objection, from Dumbarton resident Rose Harvie, states that the proposed use does not fit in with the council’s green belt policies, and raises concern at the impact of a “regular flow of large vehicles to and from the site”.
One further objection to the application has since been published on the council’s website – from Ross and Lynsey Wallace of nearby Maryland farm, raising similar concerns to those mentioned by Ms Harvie.
But two messages of support have also been published, pointing out that Mr Donnelly has already improved the site by renovating the former water works building.
Mr Hyde told the Advertiser: “The council has the authority to depart from its policy on green belt development if there are significant material considerations which would merit that.
“And this site was derelict. Until Lenny took it over it was a magnet for fly-tippers and anti-social behaviour.
"If the council doesn’t approve Lenny’s plans he will clear the site and leave it empty – and it will become derelict again.
“West Dunbartonshire has specifically identified this site in its local development plan as one they want to see enhanced.
“This is a business which is looking to expand by moving from one local authority, Argyll and Bute, into another, and you’d think they’d be delighted to prise a business away from another council.”
A West Dunbartonshire Council spokesperson said: “West Dunbartonshire Council’s planning service has been working with the applicant for some months and at this time is still awaiting necessary information to fully assess and progress the application.”
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