Cumbernauld housing application is turned down

North Lanarkshire Council’s planning committee has refused to give planning permission for a controversial proposed housing development in Cumbernauld.

Ogilivie Homes had applied for permission to construct nine houses on a site adjacent to King’s Drive in Westerwood but met with more than 170 objections

Today (September 26) councillors unanimously agreed to refuse planning permission, a decision which was in line with the recommendations of planning officers. No debate was held in the council chamber.

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Ogilvie had argued that the development was suited to planning policy including the Local Plan.

In addition to individual residents, objections were received from Dullatur and Westerwood Community Councils, Councillor Alan Masterton, Jamie Hepburn MSP and Stuart McDonald MP.

Complaints included that residents have been maintaining the sites as open space for use by the community, as well as concern over the loss of green space, and arguments that the development would breach the Cumbernauld Local Plan 1993.

Objectors also argued that the extra housing would promote on street parking, reducing road safety especially and claimed removal of trees by the landowner carried out in advance of the application was “systematic and immoral”.

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In their recommendations, council officers stated: “The proposed development is considered detrimental to of the character and setting of the area” and that “removal of this area of amenity open space (including trees) would have a detrimental impact on the setting and established amenity of both the adjacent dwellings and wider housing area.”

They also wrote that the decision had been taken on wider environmental grounds.

The report stated: They also wrote: “This site forms an important landscape design component framing the urban area which functions as a means of attracting people into their local natural environment by maintaining community access, recreation opportunities and environmental quality close to and within the

community.”