MOTORHOME And Glamping Plan Proposed For Green Belt Coastal Site At Gourock

PLANNING permission is being sought to use vacant land in Gourock as a motorhome, touring caravan and camp site.

The facility would be beside the Cabervans property at Cloch Road, near the junction with Faulds Park Road.

The development is being proposed by the owners of nearby Cloch Caravan Park who have applied for permission in principle. If approved, further, detailed plans would have to be submitted.

A statement submitted by Nicholson McShane Architects to Inverclyde Planning department explains: “Our proposal is to develop the land to form pitches for motorhome, touring caravans, camping and associated facilities to satisfy a requirement within the local area where none currently exist.

“The rise in purchases of motorhomes and touring caravans along with demand for ‘staycation’ breaks over the last few years, 2020 in particular, has been exceptional with our client’s enquiries for such facilities currently being redirected to sites in Glasgow and Irvine or across into Argyll and Bute.

“Having facilities locally, ideally located to cater for tourists arriving and departing off the ferry, would increase tourism within Inverclyde bringing visitors to our towns and villages which in turn will bring revenue into the local area currently being lost to other local council areas.

“The proposed business would be tied with Cloch Caravans, which has operated for 60 years under the same family and approval for a change of use would allow our clients business to grow whilst generating rates for Inverclyde Council as well as benefiting the local economy.”

The site is within Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park and designated green belt within Inverclyde’s Local Development Plan although the statement points out that areas previously within the green belt, such as the former Gantock Hotel site, have been given over to private housing developments “which have had a significant visual impact on the area”.

Pitches for 20 motorhomes would be formed with potential future expansion to include an additional 16 motorhome pitches with camping and glamping and associated site facilities.

The document continues: “The site will be sensitively developed, following the tree preservation line, retaining the existing mature trees surrounding the site whilst upgrading and improving the landscaping within the area of poor-quality scrub to the front of the site which will significantly improve the aesthetic.

“The only permanent features proposed will be a reception building and an ancillary building housing the toilet, shower, laundry and dishwashing facilities. All permanent site structures will be of single storey massing designed with materials which complement the rural environment to ensure little or no visual impact on the landscape.”

The site would have a new vehicle access off Cloch Road with a pedestrian footway to the Faulds Park junction.

The application is pending assessment by planners.