AN EIGHT-bedroom house with indoor swimming pool and attached three-bedroom annex is in keeping with other houses situated on a Dumbarton lane, planners argued at a public hearing.

The planning committee of West Dunbartonshire Council heard on Wednesday, August 26, a proposal for a large property to be situated on a strip of land between the private cul-de-sac of Glenpath and Stirling Road in East Dumbarton.

Planning permission is being sought to build a two and a half storey house, with two single-storey wings — one containing a swimming pool and the second a three-bedroom annexe with double garage. But with the applicant, a Mr S. Nazir, absent from the hearing, councillors voted to continue the application to another date when he is able to attend.

In his application, Mr Nazir said the large building, situated within a 0.205-hectare plot, was needed to accommodate several generations of his family.

However, the scale of the development has seen a number of people raise concerns, with 11 letters of objection written to the local authority, including one from Silverton and Overtoun Community Council.

Collectively, the letters state Mr Nazir’s right to access the site from Glenpath private road is disputed; that Glenpath Road can not cope with additional traffic during construction and when the development is complete; that the loss of trees and shrubs on site would create drainage problems on the A82; and that it would have a negative impact on wildlife including bats, deer and birds.

Most of all, the letters stress the house fails to fit in with surrounding homes in the area.

Rose Harvie, secretary of Silverton and Overtoun Community Council, wrote in the group’s submission to the planning authority: “The site has remained undeveloped for many years and has become a semi-natural environment, providing shelter for wildlife and protection from noise and air pollution from the A82 for residents. The general nature of the size, scale and infrastructure of the proposed development is unsuited to the site.” Glenpath resident Mr Andrews addressed the planning committee on behalf of his neighbours on Wednesday. He said: “In the local development plan, its states any development must reflect the surrounding area. The planners describe this as resembling a manor house. This development contains 11 bedrooms and incorporates an indoor swimming pool. It’s a substantial house. You say it’s reflective of the local surroundings when clearly it is not.” However, planning officers told elected members that the design and layout of the development was appropriate; trees would be retained to create a buffer between the A82 to screen homes from noise and pollution; and the road was adequate to deal with all projected traffic.

Pamela Clifford, planning and building standards manager, said the property was in-keeping with the character. He said: “The adjacent houses, some of them are substantial properties, not as substantial as this house, but they we feel it can be sited within the plot without having an impact on the other houses there.” After discussions about potential conditions, councillor Thomas Rainey proposed rejecting the application. But Councillor Jonathan McColl said he needed more information that could only be supplied by the applicant. He proposed continuing the planning application to the next meeting and was supported by a further four councillors.