COUNCILLORS have opposed a plan for an 11-bedroom mansion with indoor swimming pool in a Dumbarton cul-de-sac.

The controversy surrounds access next to a plot of land in Glenpath, next to Stirling Road, where Dumbarton businessman Sajad Nazir wanted to build his family home.

Mr Nazir was granted planning permission back in September 2015.

However, the landowner was given permission subject to conditions, namely that he widened the access road before he started building to accommodate heavy plant traffic at the site and maintain access for nearby residents.

He then asked to be allowed to build without widening the access road, which West Dunbartonshire Council planners recommend for rejection.

Before the application made it to the planning committee, Mr Nazir applied to the Scottish Government’s planning reporter claiming the council was taking too long.

And at last week’s meeting, council development manager Keith Bathgate said the application would now be decided by Scottish ministers.

He said they were not entirely convinced by Mr Nazir’s claim he was “unable to reach agreement” with the MoD, which owns neighbouring land.

He said: “We have two months to determine applications. This meeting was two weeks over the two-month limit. Because the committee meets monthly, it’s quite common for things to over-run slightly when they have to go to committee.”

Councillors agreed with the planners’ position on urging Scottish ministers to refuse the mansion plan rather than approve it, but remove the road requirement.

The report to the committee said: “Planning permission was granted in September 2015 (decision DC14/096) for the erection of a [two-and-a-half] storey dwellinghouse and installation of associated driveway and access.

“As most of Glenpath is a private road which already serves a larger number of houses than the adopted Roads Development Guide specifies, permission was granted subject to a condition that the road be upgraded to an adoptable standard as far as the access into the new house.”

The report also stated there were several objections to the application from existing residents in Glenpath who disputed the applicant’s rights to use or alter the private road, resulting in a legal challenge.

There were also concerns residents would not be able to access their homes with large trucks travelling to and from the site, and over the possibility of emergency vehicles trying to negotiate an already narrow track.

The Reporter previously told how the property will dwarf all other properties in the cul-de-sac, and how planning permission was granted, despite objections from 10 neighbours and another from Silverton and Overtoun Community Council.