PROPOSALS to sell vacant land in Duntocher to Barratt Homes who want to create a public footpath have been rejected by West Dunbartonshire councillors. 

The land, which is maintained by Greenspace, would have been turned into a new two-metre-wide public footpath and served the new housing development that was granted planning permission in January this year. 

A report to enter a contract with the construction company to dispose of the site at Craigielea Road was presented to members of the infrastructure, regeneration and economic development (IRED) committee this week.

And because the local authority had been against the development as a whole, chairman David McBride moved the recommendation to refuse the recommendations to sell the extra land to Barratt Homes.

Councillor McBride said: “This has been a development that has been consistently opposed as being inappropriate for the area and the council sought a judicial review which was overturned by the Scottish reporter.

“Bearing in mind to be consistent with the council’s actions towards this proposal, I am going to formally move that we reject this recommendation [for approval].”

Councillor Jonathan McColl asked officers if it was wise to oppose something that would provide pedestrian walkways.

He said: “This council is entirely against the development that is happening there but it is going ahead. Is it wise to oppose something that is going to give better pedestrian access to the residents of the new development?

“It could potentially alleviate some of the traffic issues that formed part of our objection. The people that buy these houses – it is not going to be their fault that this council has made clear that it is not suitable and I don’t know if penalising those people is the right thing to do.

“I am not sure what to do on this – I am looking to be persuaded.”

A council officer said that it was not clear if it would “actively improve access”.

He said: “I would assume so but what I do know is that it is a condition within the planning consent that has been granted that it is available for this.

“In order to go ahead Barratt would have to appeal that particular condition and have it removed.”