Residents battling to keep Broughty Ferry together have been warned that threats to its unity will come thick and fast as the area continues to grow.
Hundreds have raised their voices to fight proposals for boundary change that would transfer most residents living in West Ferry from The Ferry to the East End ward.
Broughty Ferry Community Council Chairman Stan Nutt hopes the record-breaking opposition will force a rethink but believes no-one should think that outcome will be the end.
He said: “As Broughty Ferry continues to grow this issue will come up again and again, even if the changes do not go through on this occasion.”
The changes proposed would transfer most residents living in West Ferry from The Ferry ward to the East End ward.
That is a response to the spread of expansion of the ward as a result of a huge explosion in new house-building over a number of years.
The Boundary Commission forScotland has proposed changes to keep the wards of equal size and ensureequanimity of representation bycouncillors.
A record number of objections have been received from residents opposed to that idea but Mr Nutt revealed such efforts may be required more than once.
“As developments continue to be built beyond the A92 this could well repeat itself, no matter the outcome of this boundary review,” he said.
“Even if the commission thinks again as we hope it will it could well be that we are facing the same thing again in a few years’ time and everyone is being asked to object once again.”
Ferry Councillor Laurie Bidwell said he was mindful of community concerns over the future growth of Broughty Ferry.
“I know that there are many people who do not want to see further bigdevelopments north of the A92,” he said.
“The focus of Dundee City Council is the Western Gateway where hundreds of new homes are being created.
“That does not, however, stop speculative developers coming forward with plans that would expand Broughty Ferry even further.
“And it does not mean that those schemes will fail to be granted permission.”
In the meantime, Broughty Ferry Community Council is urging residents of both Broughty Ferry and the East End to continue to deluge the commission with objections.
“The more people we can get having their say the better,” Mr Nutt said.