Alarm bells over an 800-home development in East Renfrewshire are ringing even louder, according to residents, after they found out a further 160 homes could be built nearby.

Members of the Newton Mearns Residents Flood Prevention Group (NMRFPG) raised concerns that the project at Maidenhill Farm will exacerbate existing flooding problems in the area.

Alongside the houses, the Cala Homes and Taylor Wimpey project, which was given the go ahead by East Renfrewshire Council (ERC) on June 2, promises to create a new primary school and greenspace the equivalent size of 19 football pitches, by 2019.

Last week, NMRFPG held two meetings, which were attended by more than 60 local residents, to discuss the matter.

Michael Bradnam, of NMRFPG, told the Barrhead News: “There was a resounding lack of confidence in ERC’s handling process for Maidenhill Farm, believing that the planning decision reached was incompetent.”

The group’s worries have increased yet further after realising ERC is due to consider another planning application for more than 160 houses within the Maidenhill Action Plan today.

These houses would be built between the M77 motorway, the Ayr Road, Malletsheugh Road and Netherplace Road.

A spokesperson for the group said the project would overloaded a sewer which runs through private gardens and under foundations of existing buildings in Mearns Village and Crookfur and there is concern that ERC may approve another development without completing due diligence.

The Barrhead News put these concerns to East Renfrewshire Council and a spokesperson explained the application had been open for public comment for four months but that only three representations were made during this time.

The spokesperson added: “Planning officers have scrutinised the application and are satisfied that it meets all the appropriate statutory and local guidelines and is compliant with the local and national policy framework.

“This application will now go before elected members for a decision at the Planning Committee on June 21.”