A masterplan for a 600-house development between Oban and the village of Dunbeg will go before Argyll and Bute Council’s planning committee next week.
The area known as the “Dunbeg Corridor” has been designated for housing and commercial use.
Link Group, which has already built homes in Dunbeg, has submitted the plan which details its intentions to build 300 extra flats and houses between 2017 and 2022.
A longer term plan would see a further 305 homes in the future.
In a report to go before councillors on Wednesday, David Moore, planning officer, writes: “The masterplan, if endorsed by members, will become a material planning consideration.
“However detailed planning applications will be required before any development commences and therefore far more detailed information will be required to come forward at application stage.
“A total of 75 dwellings have already been constructed and the current proposals seek to bring forward a further 605 residential units and a commercial area in a phased masterplan approach.”
It is intended that the houses will be the catalyst for new shops, cafes and community facilities at the site, adjacent to the A85, have been identified for expanded commercial activity.
The plan would involve the initial 300 houses accessed off of an upgraded Kirk Road in Dunbeg.
The need to address the safety of Kirk Road and its lack of footpaths or lighting has emerged as an important matter for the local community.
Colin Culross, director of development and asset management, Link Group Ltd: “Link’s Masterplan proposal is a carefully structured response for the expansion of new mixed unit settlements within the unique rural landscape between the existing villages of Dunbeg and Ganavan, near Oban.
“We wish to promote an exemplar of how new housing can be carefully crafted sensitively and respectfully of its environment and delivered in a rural context.
“From the outset, our design proposals have sought to be directly linked to the physical and cultural context and to achieve cohesion with an extension of the existing communities of both Dunbeg and Ganavan. We believe this expansion can help the existing communities thrive through new complimentary amenities and increased employment opportunities.
“Ultimately our masterplan seeks to create a place that focuses on community and enhances the rich, rural environment that already exists.”