'ARROGANT' council chiefs have been ordered to remove a thinly veiled swipe at the Telegraph's coverage of toxic land issues at Ravenscraig from an official document.

Municipal Buildings bosses wanted to brand our reports regarding the contentious social housing development 'unsubstantiated' and to declare that they contained 'unfounded' allegations.

The move would also have led to the council itself publishing an untrue statement regarding concerns over the project in its five-year Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP).

But councillors have halted officials in their tracks and unanimously agreed that the 'provocative' wording must be immediately deleted from the draft strategy document.

The cross-party move by the environment and regeneration committee came after SNP member Jim McEleny voiced a strongly worded objection to what senior council officers had sought to do.

Councillor McEleny said afterwards: "The [proposed] use of these words were provocative and dismissive of the general public's feelings.

"Removing them doesn't detract from the sentiment of the passage which highlights that a lack of communication, engagement and partnership are key development constraints.

"All of these things have been sadly lacking in the Ravenscraig proposals."

The draft wording proposed by council officers — which would have been accepted as fact if allowed to pass unchecked — stated: "These [Telegraph] reports proved to be unsubstantiated.

"However, this situation highlighted to us that public perception due to unfounded negative press allegations can be a very real development constraint."

In an wholly inaccurate statement, the council officers submitted: "Public and political fears have since been allayed..."

Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan's stated position is that he has 'lost confidence' in the plan to build 198 social rent homes on the toxic former hospital site.

Greenock South West Community Council has also voiced its opposition to the development, declaring: "Our position continues to be the same — we do not support a housing development on toxic land."

Only last Saturday, the Telegraph published coverage of a Branchton community protest demonstration, during which organiser Pamela Harris stated: "Greenock residents have been horrifically let down by Inverclyde Council, [developer] Link Group and the Scottish Government regarding this development."

Ms Harris said of the attempt to dismiss our coverage of Ravenscraig: "I am not shocked in the least by the arrogance shown yet again by certain council officers in their proposed wording.

"The development will always be known locally as the 'toxic site', and this is only installed further by the planning board's apparent willingness to allow the movement of hazardous soil from the main site for use in a supposed 'landscaping project' to avoid paying for moving and disposing the toxic waste safely.

"Unfortunately for the people of Inverclyde, our councillors continue to ignore the opinions of community councils and local residents when making decisions such as this, so ultimately no lessons have been learned."

Link Group Ltd acquired the polluted 83-acre Ravenscraig site — which has confirmed 'multiple exceedances' of harmful chemicals — in a so-called 'back-to-back' £1 deal involving the Scottish Government and NHS GGC in March 2017.

A nine-month Police Scotland Economic Crime Unit investigation into the matter remains ongoing.

Cllr McEleny — whose amendment at committee was vocally supported by council leader Stephen McCabe — said: "I dispute whether any fears have been allayed.

"There's an ongoing police investigation."

But during the meeting debate the council's director of environment and regeneration, Scott Allan, maintained that the draft wording was 'accurate' and insisted that he and his fellow officer 'would stand behind' it.

Councillor McEleny's alterations to the text were passed unanimously without having to go to a vote.

Councillor McCabe said moments earlier: "I can understand the sensitivities around the wording and that people remain to be convinced."

The Scottish Government says the land transfer at Ravenscraig was conducted 'in accordance with all due process'.