OFFICIALS Urge Go-Ahead For New Upper Gourock Houses

INVERCLYDE Council planners are recommending approval for a new residential development in Gourock.

Titan Homes (Scotland) Ltd has applied to demolish the McPherson Centre, a disused council property, and build 22 houses.

The semi-detached homes, on land bounded by Tower Drive, Jacobs Drive and McPherson Drive, would each have three bedrooms.

Councillors on Inverclyde Planning Board are due to consider the application next week.

There have been six objections. Concerns include loss of a “much-loved landmark” that could be used as a community asset; loss of trees and the impact on wildlife; and an increase in traffic.

Planning officials are in favour of the proposal. They say the development is “compatible with the character and amenity of the area in terms of land use and residential density”.

Their report continues: “With respect to design and materials, the proposed new dwellings are of a modern design and this approach is appropriate.

“A strong frontage to Tower Drive is proposed with ten of the dwellings fronting and taking access to Tower Drive. The remainder of the dwellings access from and front on to a new road created from McPherson Drive and this also provides a strong frontage within the development contributing to a welcoming environment.

“The McPherson Centre is not a listed building nor is it located within a conservation area. Accordingly, the demolition of this building does not alone warrant the refusal of planning permission.”

Officials also stated: “The public benefits in seeking to support new residential development in order to meet Inverclyde’s housing needs outweigh the loss of the unprotected trees on this site and compensatory planting of trees of a suitable native species and appropriate for a residential setting can be provided as part of the landscaping scheme for the development.”

A range of traffic concerns had been raised in the public objections, however the council’s head of roads and transportation had not raised concerns regarding any knock-on effect in respect of parking or traffic.

The McPherson Centre is a former adult learning disability facility declared surplus by Inverclyde Council in 2018 and subsequently closed when services moved to the Fitzgerald Centre in Greenock.