An Inverclyde businessman has called for a bypass to be built for Port Glasgow and Greenock to encourage more people to live in the two towns.

Shock new figures how that the population of the area is in long term terminal decline, says the Greenock Telegraph.

According to the Scottish Government Inverclyde suffered a 5.6% reduction in its population between 2011 and 2021.

A further drop is expected by 2028 with Inverclyde one of only two councils in Scotland projected to have more people leaving than arriving.

Gavin McDonagh, former President of Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce, believes daily rush hour gridlocks between the two town centres is deterring people from living in the area and forcing others out.

Instead many are choosing to buy homes in nearby towns like Bishopton and Erskine where motorway access is easier.

He believes a bypass similar to the M77 on the southside of Glasgow and the three towns in Ayrshire would revitalise Inverclyde and encourage more to live there.

The M77 completed in 2005 replaced the old Ayr Road and A77 routes.

It allows traffic to travel to and from Ayrshire while avoiding the south side of Glasgow and easing congestion during rush hour traffic for commuters. The A78 bypass completed in 2006 serves the towns of Stevenston, Saltcoats and Ardrossan taking heavy traffic away from the centres.

McDonagh is Managing Director of Inverkip Marina ownership firm Holt Leisure Parks and a member of Inverclyde Council’s Repopulation Committee.

He said: ”I have been banging the drum about gridlock in Greenock and Port Glasgow for years. If we are looking at at re-population then the first thing that you must sort is transport. The authorities need to get the road network sorted out. The best thing we could do is build a bypass. It would take away much of the congestion we find in Greenock because you are by passing it.”

(Pic ©George Munro/Greenock Telegraph)