A major housing developer is still deliberating whether it will appeal Renfrewshire Council’s decision to reject plans for almost 200 homes in Paisley.

Proposals for a 179-home development at the University of the West of Scotland’s (UWS) Thornly Park campus were thrown out by the planning board last month.

UWS, in partnership with Miller Homes, applied to demolish the sports pitches, student accommodation, and Robertson Sports Centre to make way for a mix of four and five-bed detached homes with some semi-detached and terraced properties.

But the plans received 116 objections and a petition was signed by 1,160 people urging the council to refuse the blueprint.

Elected members opted to bin the application after officers highlighted there were no plans outlined for affordable homes at the site.

When approached, Miller Homes refused to say whether it was planning to appeal the decision.

But bosses did say they were still in discussions about their next move.

A spokesman on behalf of Miller Homes said: “We are disappointed that our proposed development at Thornly Park has been refused by the planning committee and we are currently considering our options.”

Campaign group Save Paisley’s Green Space – which launched the petition – submitted a 35-page dossier of evidence to the council outlining reasons the site was not suitable for housing.

The lack of affordable housing plans meant that the proposal did not comply with a key policy of the Proposed Renfrewshire Local Development Plan, which requires all housing developments above a certain size to provide a proportion of affordable homes.

Planning board convener Marie McGurk added the application did not include an appropriate safe route to school in the council’s reasons for refusal.