Housing plan for old pitches
Bid lodged to create 100 new houses on empty land
A planning application has been lodged to build 100 houses on derelict playing fields between Spittal and Croftfoot.
Dawn Developments Ltd have submitted the proposal which will be considered by members of a South Lanarkshire planning committee at an upcoming meeting.
Plans lodged with the council show access will be from Kirkconnel Drive, with a small area earmarked as a “amenity”. A larger area to the north east of the site will be set aside for drainage.
A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Council confirmed this week the land was zoned for housing in the local plan.
If the development gets the goahead, it could mean the end of a neartwo decade wait for work of some sort to begin on the site.
The land, which lies between Kirkconnel Drive in Spittal and Croftfoot Train Station, has long been earmarked for housing.
It was initially bequeathed to the
people of Croftfoot and King’s Park to be used in perpetuity for recreation by Sir John McTaggart in 1936.
Campaigners from the Croftfoot Playing Fields Association fought to keep the area for recreational use, but in 2000, M&H sold their part of the land to Lynnet Leisure, who initially planned a sports facility.
Two football clubs, King’s Park Rangers and Croftfoot, were kicked off the land, with the former being forced to disband.
In 2004, South Lanarkshire Council approved outline plans for 98 houses and sold their portion of the land, although Lynnet Leisure failed to take up the option.
Money from the sale of the land was used to upgrade playing fields at Burnhill and Fernhill along with the construction of a synthetic seven-a-side pitch at Spittal Primary.
Colin McDonald, who led the fight to keep the land as pitches, said this week:“It’s a total waste of a resource, it could have been something useful.
“When they pulled the plug, we had already obtained grants to do up the grass park, turn the ash park into a grass park and turn the‘small ash’ park into an astroturf facility with floodlights.
“The dressing rooms were going to be extended by 50 per cent, but in the end it was sold for pretty much nothing.”
Councillor Robert Brown, who also opposed turning the land into housing while a Glasgow MSP, said it seemed“a lot of houses on a relatively small area.”He added: “First of all, it is very regrettable that the previous owners of the land sold it. They are good facilities that have not been able to be used.
“Given the land is zoned for housing, it seems to be a question of detail; things like play areas, traffic and traffic access. I would personally very much like part of the site to be kept for green space, whether that’s realistic is another matter.
“The main issue is to see if we can get the best deal for the residents.”
However, one resident of Croftend Road, which borders the site to the west, welcomed the news: “It’s just a big bit of land, sitting there doing nothing.
“You get youths on it sometimes at night, so hopefully this will keep them away.”
Residents received neighbour notification this week and have until next Thursday (May 7) to comment.
It is believed Lynnet Leisure have now sold the land. The Reformer contacted Dawn Developments and Lynnet Leisure but no-one was available.