A MAJOR housing development earmarked for Strathleven Park Estate in Bonhill is set to go before council planners.

The 85 home development, comprising of a mixture of three and four bedroom detached and semi-detached properties, by Barratt Homes West of Scotland will be viewed by the council's planning committee before going to a full council meeting for approval at he end of the month.

The full planning application is such a major development that it will be decided by all members of the council as to whether it is given the green light.

Barratt Homes plan to have eight of the semi-detached houses in the south eastern corner of the Stirling Road site set aside for affordable housing for rent, and the rest will all be private housing for sale.

Each of the homes will have a private garden and dedicated parking, and a new roundabout on Stirling Road would have to be built for access to the new cul-de-sacs.

West Dunbartonshire Council's planning committee will meet on June 22 to discuss the plans and approve them to go before a full council meeting.

In a supporting statement from Barratt Homes submitted with the plans, it is stated the proposed development would create around £10m of investment in the area and also create 30 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

If all homes are built and bought, West Dunbartonshire Council would see an increased income of £115,000 per year in council tax.

Three representations have been received from local residents, with one objecting to the plans and two others raising concerns.

The reasons for the objection include comments against building on green belt land, traffic on Stirling Road being hazardous and concerns another roundabout could increase the risk of accidents.

The other two representations do not object to the development of the site for housing but raise concerns on congestion in the area and a lack of pedestrian crossing.

However, the plans have come under fire from Councillor Jim Bollan.

Cllr Bollan believes more affordable homes on the site is what is really needed, as there are currently 3,565 applicants on the council's home list.

He told the Reporter: "Once again the Red Tories running WDC have turned their back on the 4,000 council applicants waiting on affordable rented accommodation across West Dunbartonshire. “Instead of the 3,000 new jobs promised by Lord McFall when the J&B whisky plant closed we have another huge private housing development which excludes those in greatest need and those not in a financial position to get on the housing ladder."

Councillor David McBride, spokesman for Housing and Communities, welcomes the development and the affordable homes.

He said: "The new affordable homes being proposed, while small in number it will add to the significant new affordable homes being built by WDC, housing associations and our Strategic Housing Partner. There have been 241 new social housing completions since 2013

"Just recently we reported to Committee that our Strategic Housing Partner has increased plans to provide 520 new social houses by 2021 and Culross are developing plans for 200 new homes in the Dumbarton Harbour site, 100 of which will social housing provided by Dunbritton Housing Association."