COUNCILLORS are due to decide whether a development of retirement flats can go ahead in Inverkip.
Homedream Ltd applied for permission in principle to build 24 apartments in three blocks on disused land at the corner of Main Street and Langhouse Road.
Inverclyde planning board is expected to consider the proposal on Wednesday. Council officials are recommending that approval is given despite around 60 public objections to the plan.
If councillors give the go-ahead, detailed designs would still need to be submitted for approval.
Concerns raised by objectors included the loss of land for community use, the design and scale of the development within the conservation area, trees, overlooking, traffic and parking, noise and disturbance and a lack of facilities to support further development.
But planners say there are no material considerations that would justify refusal.
All flats would be served by lifts, with a proportion also wheelchair accessible.
A statement by Nicholson McShane Architects explained: “The submission is for planning permission in principle for a development comprising retirement flats.
“In support of this intended application, we have prepared a notional proposal for information purposes to demonstrate how a proposal of this type might be accommodated on the site.
“This proposal is based on three discrete blocks varying in height between two and three storeys set back from the footway to reflect and tie in with the urban form.”
The statement continued: “The proposal will be modestly scaled and will have little or no effect on the amenity of neighbours.
“The proposal will potentially provide a valuable contribution to Inverclyde Council’s desire to promote town-centre based residential accommodation for older people and those with mobility issues, helping alleviate the pressure to release ground outwith the settlement boundary.”
