Close door on homes call
Concerned residents fear plans for hundreds of new houses in Cleland will ruin their village.
It comes after plans have been lodged with the council for a new housing development.
Applicants WB Properties, based in Coatbridge, want to build the homes on 4.9 hectares of vacant land off the village’s Wishaw Low Road.
They are also proposing new access to car parking along with their plans.
And that is on top of the 182 homes planned for greenbelt near the village’s Biggar Road.
The Biggar Road proposal was one of seven new sites in Cleland submitted as part of the council’s new Local Plan. The seven sites consist a total of 333 houses, including 25 in Carlisle Road and three sites in Bellside consisting of up to 100 homes.
And residents raised fresh concerns about all the housing proposals for the village at last month’s Cleland Community Council meeting.
One said: “Because the latest proposal is in principal, we don’t know how many houses will be built there. “There are no houses on the plans, only trees “It is on top of mines and they think that is okay.” And villagers fear that it will have an detrimental impact on facilities in the village.
One said: “The village can’t cope with the number of houses proposed and the primary schools won’t be able to cope.
“A total of 333 homes are on the Local Plan and that is without the new proposals.“We are great danger that will not be a village any more.
“There will be no greenbelt left at all.” Another insisted: “It is not on. “There should be zero applications. “It is ridiculous.” And concerns have been raised that 200 houses earmarked for the former hospital in Cleland will have to be scrapped because of access to the site.
NHS Lanarkshire are looking to sell the land after it was declared surplus to requirements.
A sign in the grounds says 7.9 acres of land available for residential development.
One resident said: “There won’t be houses built on the former hospital site because the access road and out is too narrow.”
John Kellighan, NHS Lanarkshire Property Services Manager said: “The sale of the former Cleland Hospital site is proceeding.”
The council’s planning committee will make the final decision on the planning applications.
It’s not on. There will be no greenbelt left at all. It is ridiculous