Council chiefs are to explore the possibility of building houses on authority-owned sites rather than selling to private developers.

But West Dunbartonshire Council’s SNP administration has been branded “unprofessional” for the way it “sneaked through” the proposals at a recent full council meeting.

The plan was included as part of a motion tabled by council leader Jonathan McColl backing a trade union demand for a no-cuts budget which aimed to send a letter to the UK chancellor demanding investment, not austerity.

But Labour opposition councillors claimed to know “nothing about” what was described in the motion as an “options appraisal” – and were roundly criticised by the SNP for demanding it be removed from the motion.

Labour Cllr David McBride said: “I’m sorry, you don’t raise Cllr [Ian] Dickson’s plan in the middle of a motion. I’m not supporting a motion when I have no idea what it’s about. I think it’s inappropriate.”

Despite Labour’s opposition, the motion was passed by 11 votes to seven, with three abstentions.

Details of the plans were only revealed when the Reporter approached the SNP during a break, and asked Cllr Dickson directly if the plan involved selling off existing housing stock – a move which damaged the SNP en route to defeat in the 2012 local authority elections.

Cllr McColl said it was not “selling off” homes, but instead taking control of building new ones. Land, such as the former council offices off Kilbowie Road, in Clydebank, currently earmarked for sale for housing, could instead be used for their own property development.

He said: “Instead of selling land, the council gets the profit out of making the housing ourselves.

“We can control the percentage of housing for social rent. The money can go to the general services account rather than the housing revenue account.

“We think we can get more added value because we get the profit but also control the value we sell the houses for. We need more affordable houses.”

Neither Cllr McColl or Cllr Dickson explained the idea in the open meeting.

Speaking later, Cllr McBride told the Reporter: “I thought it was very unprofessional to introduce that ‘Ian Dickson has an idea’. In the current climate, there’s a big enough agenda to deliver.

“Councils are traditionally social landlords so to do something different, there would be hurdles in its way.

“But I will be interested to hear what they have to say. I’m more than willing to consider a report on it.”