Residents of West Kilbride fear that a mound of soil piled up at the site of a housing development could collapse and kill someone.

A petition was submitted to North Ayrshire Council with concerns about the development at Bowfield Road. The work has seen the creation of a 30-40ft mound of soil, which has resulted in mud and rubble sliding onto the path in the glen.

Councillor Elizabeth McLardy started the petition asking that the council urge the developer to move the boundary back to its original position, move the heras fencing and remove rubble from a drainage ditch.

She said: “I have never experienced a developer show such disrespect for an area, it’s absolutely shocking.

“Every time it’s raining the water’s running over the path. If that gets a deluge of rain that soil is going to landslide down that whole plane. I think it’s shocking what they’re getting away with. All my years in planning and as a councillor and I’ve never seen anything like it. They’ve been so disrespectful to the glen.”

Local tradesman, Phil Coby, lives near the site and says that he has complained to the council numerous times. He said: “I’m very concerned for health and safety. It’s dangerous, people could be killed. If you’re walking along a mud path and the rains pouring down and that decides to come away – it’s a massive gradient – you’re going down with it. I’m sick of it. It’s just so wrong on so many levels. They have done it wrong and it’s damning.”

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of concerns with regards to the works at Bowfield Road, and we are working with the developer to ensure that all relevant planning permissions are adhered to. We have had complaints that one particular part of the earth bank on site is encroaching onto the public footpath, however on inspection we did not find this to be the case. The consulting engineers acting for the developer have provided information and confirmation that the design and construction of the embankment has been carried out in accordance with the relevant British Standards and Codes of Practice.”