BANKIES were “misinformed” into thinking a new bridge from Clydebank would be “all singing, all dancing”, it has been claimed.

The town’s planning committee took the first and only public vote on the proposals, even though the entire idea is being second guessed by Renfrewshire Council, who put forward the original bid.

West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) said they were forced by the Scottish Government to take a position, even though they didn’t have all the facts.

The committee voted six to two against the bridge – the first public vote in any authority on the formal £78million plan.

It emerged last week SPT said it would be unlikely buses would go over the opening bridge from Dock Street to Renfrew as no operator could have a guaranteed schedule faced with it being closed to traffic an average of four times a day.

Ahead of the WDC’s planning meeting, it also emerged Clyde Shopping Centre’s owners warned the bridge could lead to shop closures and job losses.

And early traffic estimates for peak times on Yoker Mill Road would see a 48 per cent increase, with 20 per cent on Dumbarton Road in Yoker, 18 per cent on Alderman Road in Knightswood and 14 per cent on Glasgow Road.

Councillor Marie McNair told the committee: “I feel constituents have been misinformed. It was pitched as all singing, all dancing, when it’s not.”

Councillor Diane Docherty added that “residents thought it was a great idea until they realised it would be open” and make public transport unlikely.

Bailie Denis Agnew agreed Clydebank needed investment but the bridge was not the answer.

He said: “I can’t understand why they didn’t re-instate the Renfrew Ferry. It would be the same benefit for a lot less. The bridge is going to adversely affect our community in terms of commercial interest.”

Some councillors asked why they couldn’t dictate to vessels when they went up or down the Clyde, which would require the bridge to open for a minimum of 40 minutes at a time.

Despite traffic and economic assessments being incomplete, planners put their recommendation to oppose the bridge to councillors. Glasgow and Renfrewshire did not put it to votes.

After many months of asking, planning officials got traffic models from Renfrewshire so late it meant they had just five days to have an independent analysis done. That will be submitted by March 5, after councillors voted.

Last year, Renfrewshire requested the Scottish Government call in the application, and West Dunbartonshire and Glasgow agreed in an effort to streamline the process.

Then last week Renfrewshire Council’s leadership board backed a proposal for the region-wide City Deal cabinet to revise their plans and drop the bridge in favour of two bridges over the White Cart.

Renfrewshire Council said they sent comments on their application as it related to planning policy, their local development plan and planning principles.

A spokesman for Glasgow said they sent “observations” by planning officers to the reporter but they are not currently public.

The eight councillors on WDC’s planning committee are the only elected officials out of all three authorities to ever take a vote on the actual plans.

Councillor Lawrence O’Neill blasted the “obscene haste” because it suited the reporter and Scottish Government.

He said: “There’s clearly a political motivation behind this in terms of the haste being put on us. We don’t have a full economic assessment, a full transport assessment.

“[Renfrewshire] have not withdrawn their application [for the bridge]. I think a bridge between Renfrew and Clydebank will bring huge benefits to Clydebank and West Dunbartonshire and beyond. I don’t think we should object to something that will bring a huge benefit.

“It might be the kick in the pants Clyde Shopping Centre require. We are just about to put huge investment on the Queens Quay side and we are potentially saying, ‘please come here, but it’s not easy to get here’.

Councillor Gail Casey said it appeared Renfrewshire was getting cold feet on the idea but that the bridge was an opportunity for Clydebank to create investment.

She said: “We should be up to the challenge. It’s progress and we should be signing up to that. We should push to get the bridge back on the rails.”

The Scottish Government confirmed their planning reporter gave councils a deadline of February 26 for their responses.