INVERCLYDE'S bid to boost its population will be enhanced if council planners give the go-ahead to a private housing development in Gourock, developers say.

Titan Homes — supported by local firm Rebecchi Architectural Services — have applied for permission to build 22 new homes at the site of the former McPherson Centre in the town.

The firm was previously identified as the preferred bidder for the land and a deal to buy it from the local authority for £375,000 has been agreed.

Titan spokesman Frank Kelly told the Telegraph: "We are excited by the prospect of this development and believe this will create 22 highly-desirable houses in Gourock as well as supporting Inverclyde Council's repopulation strategy."

New images have been released showing how the new homes would look.

The proposed semi-detached family properties on the land bounded by Tower Drive, Jacobs Drive and McPherson Drive would each have three bedrooms.

We reported yesterday how the latest available data shows that more people are moving to Inverclyde than leaving, but the current projection is for the local population to decline by more than 4,000 residents by 2028.

Titan Homes' original plan was to build 26 houses on the McPherson Centre site but that has been modified to 22 properties to allow for more 'green space'.

It is understood that geotechnical, environmental and ecological reports are now being prepared in support of the planning application.

A design document submitted to the council states: "Ten properties are positioned to front on to Tower Drive with the remaining 12 sited around the new access road [off McPherson Drive] with adequate garden space included to the front and rear of each property and areas of open space provided within the overall development."

The McPherson Centre — a former adult learning disability facility — was declared surplus by the council two years ago and its services were merged into the Fitzgerald Centre in Greenock.