A councillor insists the Scottish Government Reporter's decision to allow 39 new homes to be built in a Renfrewshire village "flies in the face of democracy".
Renfrewshire Council refused planning permission for the development on a plot of land at Yard A, Station Road in Bridge of Weir.
The site was formerly used as a railway line with sidings and a station.
But developers L&S Homes have been given the green light to build the properties after the Scottish Government Reporter overturned the local authority's decision with a report published by the planning and environmental appeals division.
Renfrewshire councillor James MacLaren believes any chance of bringing back a rail line has been lost while one business is already preparing to be forced to move.
There were 550 representations submitted about the proposal with the council knocking back the application on the basis that it would require the diversion of a popular cycle track and walkway through the site, as well as the closure of a nearby coalyard.
It was also pointed out that the plans would make it more difficult to bring a railway line back to the village in the future.
And a proposed junction to the west of the site was described as being dangerous due to a blind dip in the road.
However, the development will go ahead following the appeals process verdict which has left Councillor MacLaren furious.
The Bridge of Weir, Bishopton and Langbank elected representative told Renfrewshire Live: “This is a shocking decision that flies in the face of local democracy.
"All too often we see the SNP government ride roughshod over decisions taken by Renfrewshire Council and this is just the latest example, given almost 500 villagers objected to these plans.
“Overturning the initial decision means we will see the loss of a well-loved local business as well as seeing the break-up of the cycle track.
"That means we’ve now lost any chance of the railway coming back to the village.”
Meanwhile, Donald Blair of William Blair and Partners has been renting the site from Sustrans for use as a coalyard but the planning decision means his business will have to go elsewhere.
"It’s really going to affect, not just us, but the whole of Bridge of Weir and Kilmacolm because the cycle path has been really good for people there," he said.
"From a safety point of view, it’s great as it is but now it’s going to be going through an estate instead of a dedicated cycle path.”
Donald insists his business is dedicated to the Bridge of Weir area but doubts he will be able to acquire another patch of land in the village to suit their needs.
“The whole idea of the business is to supply locally," he added, "so we’ll have to look and see what we’re going to do next."
The appeals division report says an amended route for the cycle path, which would be diverted through the proposed housing estate, would have a "more urban feel, but could be regarded by some as feeling safer by virtue of being overlooked from some of the proposed houses".
It adds that the former railway line has a number of other developments or land uses at various points along its length and so reopening would be “challenging in engineering and environmental terms”.
It goes on to say that “there are no proposals for reinstatement of the former railway line in the council’s local transport strategy".
The report also dismissed the danger of the accidents at the blind dip, saying that there has been “no evidence of an unacceptable traffic accident record at this junction or nearby” and stated domestic traffic to the development would displace the existing business traffic.
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