The football pundit and his business partner, Jeffrey East, want to build 33 homes on a vacant site on Thriplee Road through their company, James (Glasgow) Ltd. The project includes four detached houses, six semi-detached houses and 23 flats in three blocks.

Councillors turned down the application in May, saying it would harm the local conservation area. They also raised concerns about the multi-storey blocks and the effect on traffic. The decision went against the advice of the council’s own planning officers, who had recommended approval.

The developers have now lodged a 205-page appeal, which also seeks to recover the expenses they have incurred.

The appeal accepts that councillors were not legally bound by their officers’ advice and were entitled to use their own judgment. But it argues there is a clear difference between departing from officer advice on reasonable, evidence-based planning grounds and overriding a large body of professional and technical evidence without a robust basis.

It claims the council has not explained why its design, landscape and conservation concerns outweighed the assessment supporting approval. The reasons for refusal, it says, were loose and imprecise, were not tied to technical evidence, and did not mention any planning policy or the local development plan.

The appeal adds that the refusal was not backed by any statutory consultee, any contrary technical assessment, or any identified conflict with the development plan. It concludes that the decision is unjustifiable and cannot reasonably be sustained.

The project has divided the community. Objectors submitted 395 letters, citing traffic, pressure on local infrastructure and services, and the impact on bats. Another 63 people wrote in support.

The developers say they have already made changes. A design statement by Stewart Associates says the number of homes was cut during design development, as the site slopes and the team wanted to keep parts of the existing landscape. The revised layout works out at just over 5.5 homes per acre. Ecology surveys between May and October 2025 found at least seven bat species using the site, and the designers say the scheme aims to respect existing habitats and improve biodiversity.

Bridge of Weir councillor James Maclaren previously doubted that fewer homes would solve the area’s traffic problems. He said the reduction might cut vehicle numbers slightly but would not tackle what he called an existing and serious issue in the village.

Renfrewshire Council has urged the government to uphold its refusal, and local opponents have also written in asking ministers to block the development. A government reporter will issue a decision in due course.