PROPERTY tycoons Sandy and James Easdale are considering an appeal to the Scottish Government over the rejection by councillors of their proposed £100m transformation of Spango Valley.

The businessmen want to build 450 homes at the former IBM site but in March the planning board voted 5-4 to back a recommendation by officials to limit the development to 270 dwellings.

A source close to the McGill’s Buses owners says that a possible application to ministers to review the controversial decision is ‘high on their agenda’.

The planning board backed an amendment tabled by Councillor Innes Nelson — a near neighbour of the development site — to push through the 40 per cent cut in the number of permitted houses.

It is claimed by the Easdales that this could make the entire project — including business space, a pub/restaurant and ‘park and ride’ facility at the old IBM Halt railway station — financially unviable.

News of their appeal option comes after the Telegraph revealed at the weekend that Councillor Nelson is at the centre of allegations that he tried to manipulate the planning process concerning Spango Valley.

He has been served with a legal letter containing claims that he submitted objections in the names of his neighbours to a proposed change of use from industrial to mixed use at the site in 2017.

Councillor Nelson has ignored the Telegraph’s requests asking him to comment on the allegations.

Sandy Easdale said: “Our investigators have interviewed a key witness and have documentary evidence which will be presented at the appropriate time.”
Commenting on a possible appeal to ministers, Easdales spokesman Jack Irvine said:

“Sandy and James Easdale will explore every avenue on this matter.

“First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said Scotland needs 100,000 new homes in the next decade. 

“Local councillors have a very perverse approach to her wishes.”
Last month, industry body Homes for Scotland (HFS) warned that the country is suffering from a chronic housing shortage of about 100,000 new homes.
HFS said the lack of new housing is a result of a ‘consistent undersupply’ over more than a decade.

The group has called on the Scottish Government for a target of at least 25,000 new homes per year — the minimum quantity HFS believes is needed to meet with current demand.

A spokesman for Inverclyde Council said: “An application for planning permission in principle was approved at a meeting of the planning board on March 2 for a maximum of 270 houses to be built on the site.

“As is the case with all planning applications, applicants have the right to appeal to the Scottish Government within three months.”

The council says that the allegations made against Councillor Nelson are ‘currently under review’.