ONE of Dumbarton High Street's oldest buildings will have to be demolished to make way for a new housing development, The Reporter can reveal.

The former Elephant and Castle public house must be pulled down.

The public house closed down more than a decade ago and it's believed that the building is the second oldest in the high street, dating back some 210 years.

But it's not a listed building and now plans are in place to demolish it to make way for a new pedestrian access route to a major housing development.

Plans to build nearly 200 new homes on the former distillery site in Castle Street were last week approved by West Dunbartonshire Council's planning committee.

As a result all vehicular access would be from Castle Street, opposite the new council offices.

But there would also be pedestrian access from Riverside Lane and from the High Street – on the site of the former Elephant and Castle public house.

This means the grand old building must make way for the new access.

Councillor Jim Finn said at Wednesday's planning committee meeting: "I think we are losing our heritage.

"In years to come people will say that building should've been kept.

"I'm against pulling old buildings down. The pub was a focal point for me. I think it should be kept."

Fellow councillor Tommy Rainey said: "The development itself is something that is very welcome but overall, is there some way the old pub could be marked?

"Could the name of the access road be used to mark it?"

John Lancaster, who is the agent of Culross Ltd, the developers, said the former pub was "a fairly plain building" with "not many historical features on it" and that saving it was "not really viable."

He added: "If there was a flood, that's where emergency access would be going."

Chair Lawrence O'Neill said there were "always issues" surrounding the removal of buildings whether they be young or old but added: "I am going to move for recommendation."

The planning application for the housing development was subsequently granted by the committee.

In 2014 The Reporter told how 'Nelliefest’ marked the brilliant party nights that used to be held in the Elephant and Castle.

The Elephant and Castle, better known as Nellies to regulars, was a popular pub on the town’s High Street, but closed more than a decade ago.

And Dumbarton man Jimmy Johnson, a former DJ at the Elephant and Castle, decided to create a tribute night to the pub in town centre boozer, The Burgh Bar.