Plans for 600 houses will go ahead at Castlehill Rd
Community council slam decision on traffic and schools grounds
Furious residents this week slammed Scottish Ministers who gave the goahead for controversial proposals to build more than 600 houses in Overtown.
Neighbours were up in arms after Scottish Ministers approved planning permission in principle at the land in Castlehill Road last week.
Overtown and Waterloo Community Council, residents, MP Marion Fellows, MSP Clare Adamson and the council’s planning department were all opposed to the plans.
But the applicant William Hill made an appeal in December 2015 to the Reporter who submitted his report to Scottish Ministers recently for them to make the final decision.
This decision has sparked anger among community councillors who were against the development many because of increased traffic, pollution and lack of available school places.
A community council spokesman said: “This decision has now placed a huge further burden on the local area in terms of traffic congestion/ safety, school capacity figures, total neglect of greenbelt designated land and amenities, whilst at the same time neglecting so many other equally suitable brown field sites in the area for housing.
“The community council have now requested meetings with the head of planning to ask why they delayed their own decision to reject this planning application, resulting in it having to passed to the Scottish Government for consideration. This could all have been rejected locally should council have met the required decision deadline times - why they didn’t we need to know?
“We also believe there may have been a flaw in their (NLC) adherence to consultation requirements under Local Government Act 1973 legislation, and we want to pursue this also.”
Motherwell and Wishaw MP Marion Fellows objected to the development, adding: “I agree with Overtown and Waterloo Community Council and other objectors that this is the wrong location for such a large-scale development.
“It is still unclear how much social housing will be built. I fear that this site will attract buyers from other areas and not serve the local community.
“It is also unjustifiable to build on greenbelt land so that private developers can make larger profits with houses overlooking the Clyde Valley while local services suffer when there are plenty of other brownfield sites that could be used.
“I believe that Ministers should heed the concerns of the local community and reflect that there was not one single submission in its favour.”
MSP Clare Adamson said: “It is particularly disappointing that North Lanarkshire Council failed to deal with this planning application in a timely manner resulting in the matter going before the Reporter.”
A council spokesman said: “The decision to approve the housing development at Castlehill Road has been made by the Scottish Ministers and not the council, which was opposed to the proposal and fought it with the CC.
“North Lanarkshire Council are currently reviewing the decision to consider its implications. We note the community council’s request for a meeting and will be in contact.”
A Scottish Ministers spokesman said: “As formal planning consent has yet to be granted and the legal planning obligation has to be concluded,