1300 VOICES OF PROTEST SILENCED BY COUNCIL
Campaigners lose bid to make case
Opponents of a controversial housing plan in Cambuslang were prevented from addressing councillors at yesterday’s planning committee – despite holding a petition signed by nearly 1300 people.
Stephen Towill of the Save Gilbertfield campaign group asked South Lanarkshire Council for permission to speak at the meeting, where councillors decided the Persimmon Homes application.
But his request was turned down as the local authority said the proposal did not contravene the local development plan.
The 79 letters of objection and an online petition with 1297 signatures would only be taken into account if the planning application did not fit with the plan adopted in
2015, the council ruled.
Stephen said: “There are 570 people on the Save Gilbertfield Facebook page and an online petition. I represent all of these people and I wasn’t allowed to speak.
“The council members sitting on the planning committee aren’t allowed to communicate with me but I have sent them an email.
“I respect the fact that they can’t reply to me, with it being a conflict of interest, but I was forced to contact them to give a representation of how the residents and public feel about the development.
“What they see in the planning report is a summary of the issues compiled into high-level comment. I said I wanted to give them a flavour of how the public feel.”
Councillor Walter Brogan spoke on behalf of the group. Councillor Christine Deanie made a last- ditch attempt to halt the project but her motion to refuse failed to find a seconder.
A spokeswoman for South Lanarkshire Council said: “A request for a hearing at planning committee has been received.
“In terms of the council’s criteria for hearings, a hearing must be offered in respect of maj o r developments where they are significantly contrary in terms of the development plan.
“However, in this case the site has been designated as a housing site in the local development plan and therefore complies with the relevant planning policy.”