A MAJOR tourism figure in the Helensburgh area has given his backing to controversial plans for a new residential development on the shore of Loch Long.

John Urquhart, convener of Helensburgh and District Access Trust, has made a submission to Argyll and Bute Council supporting a bid for 12 residential units on a site at Portincaple, near Garelochhead.

The plans have attracted more than 800 objections from the public as of Friday, June 12 – and three expressions of support.

The initial proposal had been for 36 houses – 24 at the hillside and 12 at the lochside – but these were later revised.

Helensburgh firm Puregreenspace Architects lodged the application, on behalf of applicant Mr Pelham Olive, of the Carrick Castle estate in Argyll, in January.

READ MORE: Portincaple plans' architects hit back at Loch Long housing protesters

Mr Urquhart, who is also vice-chairman of the conservation and heritage charity Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, and who runs a B&B in Helensburgh with his wife Anne, said in his submission: “There is no doubt where the greater good lies here.”

Writing in a personal capacity, he said: “As a local resident, former teacher of geography, tourism business operator, yachtsman, canoeist and hillwalker, I have more than an average knowledge of this site and its history.

“My experience as vice-chair of the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, convener of Helensburgh and District Access Trust and chair of Argyll and Bute Access Forum may also have given me a better than average appreciation of some of the planning and other issues relating to the application, although the views I express here are entirely my own.

“At the pre-application enquiry stage, an imaginative scheme was being proposed for 24 hillside terraced houses and 12 Lochside terrace houses, plus the creation of a new ‘Drover’s Landing’ area with commercial units, public parking and new public realm with a large proportion of open space.

READ MORE: Portincaple plans 'first step to something much bigger', claim opponents

“I believe there was little wrong with that scheme as it was concordant with a great many of the key aspects of the local development plan.

“Furthermore, the stepped nature of the raised beach and sea cliff site, plus the unusually generous envelope of the existing settlement and the scattered and leafy nature of its building layout, meant that Portincaple could readily have absorbed a development of that scale without undue damage to the surrounding environment or the character and setting of Portincaple itself.

“Indeed this was recognised by the planning officer’s response at the time, ‘…36 units, does not seem excessive in a site this size’.

“Her generally positive response contained many useful suggestions and pointers for how different aspects of the application could be altered or improved to bring them into concordance with local development plan policies.

“However, despite these positive planning indications, Mr Olive has chosen to abandon his initial more ambitious thinking, instead coming back with a very much reduced scheme comprising only 12 dwellings – a pity given the originality and promise of the pre-enquiry explorations.

READ MORE: Green MSP urges delay to Portincaple planning decision

“Having looked closely at the application and Portincaple itself, I am in no doubt that the reduced scheme more than addresses all of the issues raised by the pre-application enquiry.”

Mr Urquhart concluded: “Especially in the aftermath of Covid-19 we need to grow the economy, there is a need for the houses,

“Portincaple has the space and a superb site for them, Argyll needs the population and the scheme offers so much potential for natural and cultural heritage, public access, leisure and recreation – I say let the planners and the developer get on with it.”

In a submission to the council, West of Scotland MSP Ross Greer called for the plans to be rejected due to a lack of affordable housing, impact on nature and woodland, the scale of the development and its impact on views and the local community.

At a meeting held in January, before the plans were revised, the Protect Portincaple movement gained cross-party political support. Mr Greer was joined by MSPs Jackie Baillie and Maurice Corry in backing the campaign.