HUNDREDS of people are fighting a fresh plan to build six-storey flats in a protected area of Glasgow’s West End.

Rossweir Limited want to build 19 properties at the foot of Fergus Drive, just off Queen Margaret Drive in North Kelvinside, part of the West Conservation area that takes in the Botanic Gardens and Kibble Palace.

A previous application for an aparthotel was turned down by Glasgow City Council last year on the grounds that the design was not sympathetic to the surrounding tenement buildings.

A campaign group, MuchtooBig, made up of local people councillors, was mobilised to oppose the application and is now fighting this plan with more than 300 objections lodged.

Neighbouring residents say the development will lead to an “unacceptable loss of privacy and daylight,” because of the proximity to adjacent flats and addition of 100 balconies.

Concerns have also been raised about parking availability with one resident writing: “Given the already “uncontrolled parking zone” and the limited provision of parking, it is completely unacceptable to disadvantage local residents by creating additional parking pressure.”

The site owner has described it as a 'modest' development and say it includes parking provision.

Campaigners say that the Milngavie-based applicant has failed to submit accurate drawings for the plans which will show the impact on adjacent properties.

John Hancox, chairman of MuchtooBig, said: “In essence, it’s still MuchtooBig and is completely inappropriate for the area.

“I am personally very critical of the council's planning department foraccepting and validating the planning application on the grounds that it did not have proper plans.

“Instead of proper clear drawings , we have had “optimistic” artist’s impressions, which to my mind give a misleading impression of the scale of the proposed development

“The area is in the heart of the West End conservation area, and for this to be considered properly you have to be able to see how the proposal will impact on the area.”

A spokesman for the applicant said: “This is a modest application for a flatted development on a brownfield site in the West End of Glasgow.

“The proposal has a parking space for each flat and the design is in keeping with the local scale, with height matching the tenement directly across Fergus Drive, context and the conservation area.

“In particular the use of natural sandstone on all street elevations, west-end style bay windows, and vertical (Glasgow style) window proportions reflects this.

“The primary trees, particularly those at the end of the site to Queen Margaret Drive, are retained, and new landscape planting will increase the planted area on the site by replacing the existing tarmac.”