COUNCILLORS will today decide on plans for a major £10m housing development in Greenock which could create up to 200 jobs.

Businessmen Sandy and James Easdale have applied for permission to build 104 flats on land between Ratho Street and MacDougall Street, above.

It is proposed that the flats would be built in six four-storey blocks with 100 two bedroom and four three bed properties. The development includes plans for 208 parking spaces with a new access road off Ratho Street.

Spokesman Jack Irvine, who is an advisor for the applicants, says the project would create about 200 jobs.

He told the Tele: “The boys have been buying up derelict land over the last few years and they feel that it would be a vast improvement to the area to build some nice flats on it.”

The site includes a 100-metre length of MacDougall Street and industrial buildings and yards to each side of it, as well as the Reach for Autism building on Ratho Street. 

Eleven written objections have been lodged with fears including that the development could affect road safety and that the area would be over-developed.

Officials are recommending that councillors should refuse permission for the flats, saying they’s be contrary to local planning policies.

A report by Stuart Jamieson, who is the head of regeneration and planning at Inverclyde Council, states: “The proposal is contrary to Policy ECN1(c) of the Local Development Plan which seeks to safeguard the site for economic mixed use and presumes in favour of new development proposals for business, general industrial and storage and distribution.”

A development plan was originally submitted almost eight years ago but was put on hold.