Another 1,200 houses could be built on greenbelt
Builders want land designated for homes
A further 1,200 houses could be built on greenbelt land in Cambuslang in the coming years, should proposals to the new Local Development Plan (LDP) be agreed.
Developers have submitted proposals to South Lanarkshire Council requesting a large site off Westburn Road is designated for residential use.
It includes a proposal to build 90 houses on what is currently agricultural land at Hallside New House Farm.
But the Reformer understands that should all 40.82 hectares of the identified site be designated for residential use, other developers could also submit planning applications to build there. The site could in total accommodate more than 1,200 new homes. The proposal was included in the council’s updated Main Issues Report - a key document in the preparation of the 2019 LDP. It seeks to identify different ways in which land can be used in the future. The importance of land designation in Cambuslang became hugely important earlier this year when planning permission was granted for 386 homes on greenbelt land off Gilbertfield Road. Despite fierce opposition from locals, South Lanarkshire Council gave builders the go-ahead because the land had been designated for residential use in the local development plan.
Steven Towill, who lead the fight against the Gilbertfield development, said: “That’s what got Gilbertfield passed, the LDP adopted in 2015 and it was hard to challenge that.
“The people that live around there, unless they want their roads and schools overflowing, they need to challenge this before it becomes part of the LDP.
“It is open for consultation just now, so it’s worth challenging.”
South Lanarkshire Council was asked if designating the 40.82 hectares at Newhouse Farm for residential use would pave the way for other developers to build at Newhouse Farm.
It did not answer. directly but Pauline Elliott, head of planning and economic development, said: “No decisions will be made on which sites to identify for development until the outcome of the current consultation exercise has been considered and assessed.
“These sites are assessed on a number of factors including landscape and environmental impact, the availability of infrastructure such as water and sewerage, flood risk, accessibility and impact on the road network, with a view to deciding which can be considered to accord with the council’s development strategy.
“Those sites considered appropriate to take forward for further consultation will be identified in the proposed Local Development Plan which will be published later this year or early next year.
“The proposed plan must then be subject to a further period of public consultation, with any representations received being assessed and considered first by the council and thereafter by the Scottish ministers.”
People have until August 18 to comment on the Main Issues Report.