July 22 2019

Proposals have been prepared for the construction of 24 double-storey hillside terraced houses and a further 12 three-storey lochside terraced homes as part of efforts to create a new commercial landing area and public car park at Portincaple, near Helensburgh.

Indicative designs contained within a screening opinion prepared by puregreenspace indicate a mix of terraces stepping up 2 hectares of steeply sloping hillside from the eastern shore of Loch Long, employing green walls and roofs helping to mitigate their impact.

Arranged over two phases the masterplan also calls for 22 hotel rooms behind the beach slipway with properties ranging in size from four bedrooms arranged over 120sq/m up to six bedrooms across 180sq/m.

Occupying a prized spot overlooking loch the homes would sit on the fringe of Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park part of the site has been designated as ancient woodland.

19 Comments

#1 Posted by boaby wan on 22 Jul 2019 at 16:34 PM

wow, what a well considered contextual response... looks absolutely awful, but at least they've found the canvas background for Sketch Up

#2 Posted by HMR on 22 Jul 2019 at 17:16 PM

is this a windup?

#3 Posted by Graeme L on 23 Jul 2019 at 12:51 PM

'Mitigate their impact'? There's absolutely no mitigation happening here.

#4 Posted by Paul T on 23 Jul 2019 at 14:14 PM

How can this be appropriate it will be disastrous in this beautiful location. Is it April fools?
Has to be stopped
#p_pod

#5 Posted by Paul T on 23 Jul 2019 at 14:29 PM

How can this be appropriate it will be disastrous in this beautiful location. Having visited the area many times this be impact not the people living there but all the wildlife!
Has to be stopped surely!
#p_pod

#6 Posted by Reverend Skyerider on 23 Jul 2019 at 16:19 PM

What a fab idea, not! cut down ancient woodland and destroy this beautiful area with a totally inappropriate development. Most of the ancient Argyll forest has gone why destroy more unnecessarily?

#7 Posted by Dulnain on 23 Jul 2019 at 16:38 PM

Surely when Urban Design includes comments on a proposed development they should supply sufficient visual info to inform the reader. Thie text talks about various things such as hotel rooms and a masterplan. Without these things it is an incomplete picture that you paint.
PS what a dismal visual, means nothing without context.

#8 Posted by Army Surplus UK on 23 Jul 2019 at 16:59 PM

We are looking forward to diversifying into building facade systems, we had worried what was going to happen to the cammo netting in storage.

#9 Posted by Eskimonell on 23 Jul 2019 at 17:14 PM

Totally and utterly out of keeping with the local area. A London based developer destroying an unspoilt Scottish Lochside location for his and his investors own profit.

#10 Posted by Frank S on 23 Jul 2019 at 18:09 PM

If you need to camouflage the houses, that tells you they shouldn’t be there! Dreadful

#11 Posted by Coco B on 23 Jul 2019 at 18:45 PM

Sadly this is not a joke. This has been deemed by Argyll and Bute Council as a not requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment "on the basis that any impacts would be minimal"

#12 Posted by susan will on 24 Jul 2019 at 10:47 AM

Rural carnage,....totally inappropriate

#13 Posted by MR on 24 Jul 2019 at 11:10 AM

A proposal as thought out as Trumps tweets or Boris' promises

#14 Posted by Me on 24 Jul 2019 at 11:45 AM

What have they been smoking? If you follow the link in the original post you can see the ‘Master Plan’. Totally inappropriate in scale and architecturally off the charts ugly!

#15 Posted by Lorrie on 24 Jul 2019 at 17:48 PM

The irony of it ... architects called Pure Green Space devising a master plan to destroy an ancient woodland, shoe horn in 36 terraced houses, 72 residents parking spaces and 31 public car parking spaces into a minor rural community... Not exactly creating a pure green space.... just saying!

#16 Posted by JQueen on 24 Jul 2019 at 18:08 PM

Just to provide context. Portincaple as a whole has only 54 houses. This development plans to squeeze in 36 (4 and 6 bedroom) terraced houses with 72 car parking spaces, a 31 space car park and A mixed use commercial development into an area of Portincaple that currently houses 8 homes. How on earth can this have been designated by the local council to have a minimal environmental impact.

#17 Posted by David on 25 Jul 2019 at 16:41 PM

...#16...simple, a large brown envelope full of cash.

#18 Posted by Dave Plumber on 26 Jul 2019 at 08:41 AM

This is a disgraceful proposal and is purely in place to make money for an individual based in London. This will completely change Portincaple and destroy trees, wildlife, stunning views (that are there for everyone) and a way of life for many. Please help in fighting this selfish plan?

#19 Posted by Susan Will on 27 Feb 2020 at 14:00 PM

Yuk

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