PLANS for a 17-house extension to the Kingston Dock development in Port Glasgow have been turned down.

Councillors on the planning board yesterday rejected an application made on behalf of Clydeport for ‘in principle’ permission to build new homes on land earmarked for commercial use.

The proposal had been recommended for approval by council planning officials.

The land is located just off Lithgow Way and close to Iron Way on the former dockland site. Back in August, councillors had delayed a decision as they opted to carry out a site visit, which took place recently.

During yesterday’s debate, concerns were raised about the number of houses proposed for the size of the site, plus its close proximity to a children’s playpark and the material which would be used for the in-fill of the land.

There were also 24 objections to the proposals from members of the public.

Councillor Robert Moran said: “The proximity to the children’s playpark is a concern.

“The houses there are on top of each other as it is.” There were also concerns raised about the lack of commercial land already available in Inverclyde, with some councillors adamant that the Kingston area should remain earmarked for this purpose, as laid out in the local plan.

Councillor Ciano Rebecchi said: “Everywhere there is a piece of ground, builders want to build houses there.

“The ground is for commercial use and should remain like that for the next five years.” Fellow board member Councillor Math Campbell-Sturgess agreed.

He said: “It is commercial land and we have a massive shortage of that in Inverclyde. The plans don’t make long-term planning sense for the council.” Mr Moran added: “Let’s give it a chance to see if someone else would be willing to look at the land for commercial use.” Councillors eventually voted 6-3 to reject the application.