As they come down in one part of Glasgow, so they go up in another.

Dozens of brutalist high-rises have been dynamited across the west of Scotland in recent years with the iconic Red Road towers skyscrapers scheduled to be next.

But now developers have applied for permission to build what critics say is a classic 1960s and 1970s tower block - smack in the middle of what was once pitched as a new riverside yuppie neighbourhood.

Dandara has unveiled plans for a 16-storey development of nearly 350 flats for "mid-market" rent in Glasgow Harbour, sparking horror from nearby residents.

Jim McGuire, vice-chairman of a local home owners' association, said: "This block will either be the first thing you seen in Glasgow Harbour or the last; it's a massive monolith designed to provide as many flats as possible in as little space as possible. We don't think it fits with our neighbourhood at all."

Critics believe the Dandara project is one of the biggest of its kind in Scotland, a privately owned skyscraper in which all the flats will be for rent, a sort of commercial Red Road.

The company, however, reckons it has identified a gap in the market for high-rise living for professionals who can't - or don't want to - buy.

It had planned to build to a different spec for mixed tenure - many of the homes in Glasgow Harbour are either owner-occupier or buy-to-let - but is understood to have changed tack.

Mr McGuire and other residents believe the new block is completely out of line with the whole image of Glasgow Harbour, which was the flagship development of the pre-crash drive to regenerate the banks of the Clyde.

Local councillor Kenny McLean of the SNP isn't convinced that Glasgow Harbour has ever quite lived up to its hype but is now very concerned by the latest block.

He said: "This block looks like many of the multi-stories we are pulling down right now, bleak and monolithic.

"I hope this will be of a better quality and we won't be talking about their demolition in 20 years' time. But there is a danger here of repeating the mistakes of the past.

"This block is for rent. I think that runs against the whole principle of mixed tenure."

Mr McLean fears the block could get planning permission, despite the dramatic changes from the initial masterplan for Glasgow Harbour. So does his fellow nationalist Sandra White, who is MSP for the area. "This is a blot on the landscape," she said. "We are pulling down buildings like this."

Labour councillor Aileen Colleran agreed. "This is not so much a bookend as a sore thumb," she said. "What kind of community are we going to have in Glasgow Harbour in 10 years? There is now far more focus on rentals than was ever intended. Are we going to have a sustainable community here or just short-term lets?"

A spokeswoman from Dandara said such build-for-rent schemes were now widespread across the UK. She added: "But few have the high-quality ethic and delivery track record that comes with a Dandara scheme.

"The proposed apartments and associated facilities will be predominantly aimed at working professionals requiring easy access to the city centre and the premium specification will place this scheme as one of the most desirable in Glasgow."

Some residents suggested they would be happy with high-rise but didn't like the look of the block, described by one resident as "Benidorm without the beach".

The Dandara spokesman said the firm would be happy to work with the council on the final appearance of the block.