MILLIONAIRE businessmen Sandy and James Easdale have hit out at Inverclyde Council after seeing their plans for a £10m housing development in Greenock turned down.

Councillors on the planning board yesterday blocked their proposal to build 104 flats on land between Ratho Street and MacDougall Street just off the A8.

The Easdales’ advisers had said the plan – which attracted 11 objections – could have generated 200 jobs, but councillors followed the advice of their planning officials, who had recommended refusal of the blueprint to retain the land for industrial or business use.

A statement released by the Easdales’ spokesman Jack Irvine last night said: “If the council keep standing in the way of progress and development it is hardly surprising that Greenock’s population continues to fall.  The council seem blissfully unaware that both Westminster and Holyrood are desperate for new homes.

“This £10m project would have created 200 jobs over a two-year period.

“We really have to wonder what is going on in the minds of Greenock’s councillors.  

"If this is how they react after a mere 11 written objections one has to wonder if they will ever get anything built in this part of the world.”

Councillors queued up to expressed concerns about the proposed development during yesterday’s debate.

Math Campbell-Sturgess said: “I don’t feel we should be getting rid of land which has been designated for industrial use.”

Cllr Michael McCormick, who stood in for absent colleague Joe McIlwee, said he was concerned about the future of Greenock charity Reach for Autism, whose facility is located on part of the land outlined for development.

He said: “As a local authority we have been very supportive of Reach for Autism and we are just about to award them funding.

“I think if this proposal meant that their building had to be demolished and they had to look for other premises, that would be quite sad.”

Councillor Innes Nelson said he couldn’t make a judgement on the application until he visited the site.

He said:  From the material provided, you’re really not seeing the road layout and other different things in any detail.”  

Cllr Keith Brooks agreed that he would prefer to have a site visit but officials informed the board that if they wanted a site visit then the decision would have to be delayed until after the election on May 4, when a new planning board would be in place. 

Councillor Ciano Rebecchi raised concerns about the impact the development would have on traffic in the area, Vaughan Jones echoed the concerns about the impact the ‘amazing’ Reach for Autism facility, as did Martin Brennan while Gerry Dorrian said the proposal ‘flew in the face’ of the council’s local development plan.