CHILDREN’S lives could be put at risk because of access roads being planned for a Greenock housing development.

Inverclyde’s planning board will meet today to decide on proposals to build 23 houses for elderly people on the site of the former St Gabriel’s Primary in Braeside.

Councillors have already deferred a ruling to visit the site, and will make up their minds on today.

The plan is to take two new roads off narrow Juno Terrace into the site, but local people say it would be safer to get access off Braeside Road.

Resident Rab Carswell says there is only one pavement on Juno Terrace, where cars park on both sides of the road and could create blind spots for vehicles leaving the site.

Mr Carswell said: “This is a serious risk to road safety.

“Children could run out from behind parked cars to get to the playpark on the other side of a congested road which will be even busier if it is used for access to the new housing.

“I have no objection to the housing, but I feel it would be much safer to take access from broader Braeside Road.”

Other objections have also been made to the plans, including ‘inadequate’ off-street parking, and parked cars creating access problems for emergency vehicles which might have to mount the pavement.

The worries have been dismissed by council officials.

A report to the planning board states that, while noting the concerns that have been expressed, the head of environmental and commercial services has offered no objections.

The report by Stuart Jamieson, head of regeneration and planning, said: “It is recognised that the site operated as a school previously, and that demand for parking for a development of social rent to the elderly will be less.

“Furthermore, the development incorporates 26 off-street parking spaces, and the head of environmental and commercial services advises that this accords with the National Roads Development Guide requirement for one space per housing association unit.”