RENEWED plans for 120 homes and hundreds of associated vehicles in Cardross have sparked a furious backlash by residents.

The bid by Cala Homes follows one almost eight years ago by Avant Homes for a plot behind Cardross Primary School.

Concerns have been raised about traffic, drainage, flooding and many other aspects of the site that neighbours have highlighted for nearly a decade and which Argyll and Bute Council originally required as conditions to be met by developers.

For the site, at Kirkton Farm, Darleith Road, Cardross, there were a number of conditions back in 2015 but developers have continued to try to get them removed or relaxed.

When Argyll and Bute Council didn't act fast enough to reach a decision, Avant Homes appealed to the Scottish Government.

Their appeal succeeded, but conditions were attached which at the time it was thought would make it difficult, if not impossible, to go ahead with the development.

The new Cala Homes plans would feature eight one-bedroom homes, 11 two-beds, 11 three beds, 14 four-beds and the overwhelming majority - 76 - with five bedrooms.

Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter:

Those 120 properties would require a total of 326 parking spaces. Another 12 spaces will be set aside for visitors. Each home would include a charging outlet for electric vehicles.

Thirty of the properties would be for social rent through Dunbritton Housing Association.

One "strongest possible ojection and complaint" from a neighbour hammered the council and developer over requierments to improve a stretch of Darleith Road between the site entrance and the main road.

The council asked for a "safe connection" from the A814 to the site entrance back in 2015 before construction ever started.

They required traffic calming between Barrs Terrace and Mill Road, a passing place and street lighting to the north of the new access.

And the objection called for council officials to refuse the application until there is more information about the core path, the risk of subsidence, drainage and more.

A first proposal in 2014 wanted 158 homes for the site.

An archaeological survey concluded the site had the remains of a "later prehistoric enclosed settlement with a possible internal post ring and potential phases of occupation".

Michael Veitch, one of several objectors, said of the hundreds of vehicles using the new development, most would access Darleith Road. Nine would access Barrs Road.

He said: "This will create a huge volume of traffic using Darleith Road. Traffic calming measures are to be made on the main A814 and Darleith Road, where a 20mph speed limit will apply.

"Clearly the amount of increased traffic is dangerous to road safety to school children and very inconvenient to residents.

"Also, Darleith Road is the main exit to Helensburgh from Barrs Road via Barrs Terrace.

"There would be chaos at the junctions in the mornings and evenings. In addition, it is not clear how addition pupils will be accommodated in the primary school.

"This will create a huge volume of traffic using Darleith Road. Traffic calming measure are to be made on the main A814 and Darleith Road, where a 20mph speed limit will apply.

"No increase in parking spaces or changes to the width of Darleith Road are mentioned. Unless these issues are addressed planning should not be allowed."

Argyll and Bute Council designated the land for housing in their local plan and Avant Homes applied in July 2015. Three years later, they applied to remove some planning conditions, and when they didn't reach a speedy decision, the developer appealed.

The Scottish Government granted a partial victory to the homes firm in 2019, but nothing happened with the application in the required three years.

But the government offered extensions because of the Covid-19 pandemic - and Cala Homes slipped in just before the March 31 deadline.

The new application seeks to remove a dozen planning conditions originally made back in 2015.

Cala states the restrictions have since all been met by these latest plans.

If the new application is late being decided or doesn't go to a developer's liking, planning law gives them considerable power to appeal to the Scottish Government - but neighbours and residents have no such power.

The full application can be viewed at the council's website by searching for 23/00145/PP.

The original planning application from Avant still exists, but Avant has nothing to do with the new development. Cala is proposing taking the site forward from the existing permission.

Moray Stewart, land director, Cala Homes (West), said: “Cala Homes (West) has submitted an Approval of Matters Specified in Conditions (AMSC) planning application to build 120 high quality homes including 25 per cent affordable housing at a site in Cardross which already has Planning Permission in Principle for a residential development.

"If approved, our plans will help meet local housing demand and deliver considerable community benefits. 

“As part of the planning application process, we are committed to working with stakeholders to understand local issues as part of progressing the development.”