A COMMUNITY councillor has accused West Dunbartonshire Council's buildings standards division of "lacking imagination" over proposals for street names at a new housing development in Bonhill.

The issue relates to a development site at land opposite Strathleven Park Estate, in Bonhill's Stirling Road- by Barratt Homes.

The local authority's building standards team have sent out correspondence over the names they plan to put forward for approval.

They have opted for the following names at the new site- Capercaillie Drive, Kingfisher Avenue, Thistle Place and Osprey Place.

Building standards also claim they conducted a "thorough search" into the area's history but found "no historic associations" relative to the site area.

And they claim the reason they have chosen Scottish wildlife names was to represent the "theme of wildlife and flora and fauna of Scotland."

But chairperson of the Bonhill and Dalmonach Community Council Janice Ross reckons the proposed names are "simply not good enough."

The community council chair said: "We were somewhat disappointed at the lack of imagination in the street names and feel that the search, which reports no historic associations with the land, overlooked the modern day history of the area of Strathleven and its close proximity to Strathleven Industrial Estate.

"Given that the industrial estate had a rich history of iconic industry- and we recognise that there is still established and new developments in the estate- surely that should be explored and considered?

"For example Polaroid Place, Westclox Way, Burroughs Drive. Or conversely, is it not about time we recognised the important and influential local women of the the Vale of Leven and recognised them in fitting manner?

"I find it difficult to understand how a simple historical search of our area did not identify a rich seam of modern day history."

She added: "Our view is that the proposed street names lack imagination and could be a development in any part of Scotland, and that is simply not good enough.

"We look forward to the street names given more serious thought and reflecting the area of Bonhill and Dalmonach and the wider environs of the Vale of Leven."

In a letter to the community council the local building standards said: "We are consulting on the suggestions of new street names for the development site at land opposite Strathleven Park Estate, Stirling Road, Bonhill by Barratt Homes.

"The new street name/s are: Capercaillie Drive, Bonhill, Alexandria, Kingfisher Avenue, Bonhill, Alexandria

Thistle Place, Bonhill, Alexandria, Osprey Place, Bonhill, Alexandria.

"We have done a thorough search through the history of the site and there are no historic associations relative to this site area.

"The above suggested names are relating to the theme of wildlife and flora and fauna of Scotland.

"We will be putting our committee report forward to Planning Committee on 31st of May 2017 and would be grateful for comments."

Once complete the 85-home development will comprise a mixture of three and four bedroom detached and semi-detached properties.