CAMPAIGNERS who vociferously opposed plans to build a dozen new homes in a hamlet on the shores of Loch Long have welcomed a decision by councillors to reject the proposals.

The application by developer Pelham Olive was the subject of a seven-hour hearing by Argyll and Bute Council’s planning, protective services and licensing committee on Tuesday, January 26.

And all 11 councillors from across Argyll and Bute supported a motion by Lomond North independent councillor George Freeman that planning permission for the 12 houses should be refused – against the advice of the authority’s own officials.

READ MORE: Portincaple housing plans are unanimously refused

Afterwards, Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer, who spoke at the hearing on behalf of the objectors, said he was “thrilled” at the decision.

“It was a privilege to speak at the hearing on behalf of my constituents and against the plans,” he said.

“There’s simply no need for more housing here. The council’s local development plan doesn’t allocate any housing and the MoD have made clear this proposed development wouldn’t have matched what they need anyway.

“In any case, the local MoD estate includes a huge number of empty buildings, which would make for far more appropriate housing than this unwelcome development would have done.

“Building here would have threatened a big section of Atlantic rainforest and local wildlife. Once changes like those are made, they’re irreversible.

“I know that the architects are enthusiastic about using renewable energy and developing energy efficient housing and I hope that they will find more appropriate locations for these constructive ideas.”

Argyll and Bute MP Brendan O'Hara praised objectors to the Portincaple development plans for their hard work in protecting their small, rural hamlet from "out of scale development".

Mr O'Hara, who wrote to the council and the Ministry of Defence on behalf of the community, said he was delighted that councillors on the planning committee had taken on board the massive impact the development would have on the area and unanimously rejected the application.

READ MORE: Portincaple plan is 'wrong development in the wrong place'

He said: "These plans were out of scale for the size of Portincaple and would have completely changed the whole area. The community is to be congratulated on a well-fought campaign."

The SNP MP said he was also pleased to have been able to seek confirmation from the MoD that while it had spoken with the Portincaple developer, amongst other accommodation providers, as part of an options analysis for an increase in personnel at HMNB Clyde, it "had not included proposed developments within Portincaple in its estate planning" and "no decisions have been taken or inferred".

Following the meeting, Mr Olive said: “I was pleased to be given a fair consideration of the proposal during a marathon seven-and-a-half-hour hearing.

“The council is to be congratulated on the way they set up and managed the virtual process, given the unprecedented level of interest shown in this planning application.

”While I was naturally disappointed with the refusal, I was encouraged by the amount of positive support expressed for the woodland regeneration and exceptional green credentials of the proposed development.

“I will be reviewing the councillors’ comments and their reasons for refusal over the coming weeks.”

The meeting, held via Skype, saw robust discussion among planners, supporters, objectors and local residents as well as councillors.

Councillor Freeman moved that the plans should be refused as they failed to comply with part of the local development plan and they did not fulfil any housing need.

He also said that Portincaple was “a sensitive area” and that the proposed development was out of character for its setting.

Council planning officers had recommended that planning permission should be granted subject to the hearing having taken place.

More than 1,000 objections were lodged before the meeting – and it’s understood that late submissions took that number to more than 3,000.

Helensburgh Central SNP councillor Lorna Douglas seconded Councillor Freeman’s motion, and no committee members were otherwise minded.

Architect Bruce Jamieson, of PureGreenSpace Architects, had drawn up the plans and spoke in their favour at the meeting, although Mr Olive was also present.

John Urquhart, convener of the Helensburgh and District Access Trust, spoke in favour of the plans in a personal capacity, telling the hearing that in his view the objections were “motivated either by the usual irrational NIMBY fear of change, or by a largely external and politically motivated campaign which perhaps has more to do with the coming election than any real concern for the environment”.

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