THE battle between a property developer and village residents over the future of a patch of land near Helensburgh has taken another twist this week.

Members of the Portincaple and Garelochhead communities have been engaged in a war of words with developer Pelham Olive for more than a year after the latter submitted plans in January 2020 for a dozen new homes to be built in the hamlet on the eastern shore of Loch Long.

Councillors unanimously refused the proposals 12 months later after a mammoth seven-hour virtual hearing - but Mr Olive has now lodged an official appeal against that decision.

The initial application received more than 1,200 objections, according to Argyll and Bute Council’s website, with local and national politicians adding their opposition.

Just last month community campaigners called for the site, off Feuins Road, to be re-designated as an Open Space Protected Area - as it was until 2003 - to prevent future major development.

READ MORE: Community campaigners call for protection of land at centre of failed planning bid

Notice of the appeal was published on the council’s website on Tuesday, and the case will now go before Scottish ministers.

Garelochhead Community Council said in a statement: “We will be discussing this at our next meeting, however we have little doubt that our members will be surprised the applicant has decided to submit an appeal to the planning decision.

“The application was unanimously refused by the elected members of the planning, protective services and licensing committee.

“The proposed development is inappropriate for this site, garnered over 4,000 objections, including from the majority of the residents of Portincaple, and was clearly demonstrated to contravene the protections afforded by the adopted local development plan.”

Ron Fletcher, chair of the Portincaple Residents’ Association, also said he was “surprised that the appeal was launched”.

“This appeal once again demonstrates how the planning system appears to be biased in favour of developers,” he said.

READ MORE: Portincaple campaigners 'thrilled' as housing plans are turned down

“They have three months to reach a decision on whether to appeal, during which their professional advisers can prepare and tidy up their submission.

“Once that is lodged with the relevant authority, all the interested parties are only given 14 days to prepare their response.

“In this case most of the 3,000 plus people who objected to the original application are ordinary members of the public, with little or no experience of the planning system.

“We will prepare a submission to send through to the reporter.”

Bruce Jamieson of Helensburgh-based firm Puregreenspace Architects, the agent acting on Mr Olive’s behalf, said he would be unable to provide a comment from Mr Olive before the Advertiser’s press deadline on Wednesday; we hope to have more information this week.

The plans can be viewed in full by searching Argyll and Bute Council’s planning portal argyll-bute.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/find-and-comment-planning-applications for the reference code 20/00094/PP.