Planners green light transformation of tax office into housing

Cannon Capital Developments was successful in its application for permission in principle to demolish the HMRC Cumbernauld and replace it with around 150 homes of mixed types.

This follows months of speculation about the site which has been the town’s biggest workplace for decades.

Tax office staff who have opted to stay with the operation will be moved through to a streamlined ‘superhub’ in the Argyll Street area of Glasgow.

Planners stated too that or two new access roads will also need to be built on the town centre site depending on the final number of properties to be constructed.

This will be the subject of a more detailed future application.

One planning condition required 3,500 square metres of open space to be included in the development.

This includes either a fully equipped play area of 1,000 square metres or money to provide equipment, assessed at £500 per house or £250 per flat.

During Thursday’s committee meeting Councillor Tom Johnston (SNP, Cumbernauld East) queried if this money would be used within this housing development or distributed. throughout North Lanarkshire.

He was then was advised the money would be used in Cumbernauld.

The council’s education division stated that local schools had sufficient capacity to absorb increased demand from families moving into this proposed development.

It was stressed too that no developer contribution would be required to increase capacity.

The housing department has requested that one quarter of the proposed development – 38 units – be dedicated to the provision of affordable housing, in line with local planning policy.

Planning officers recommended the application be granted as it was considered to accord with the relevant policies within the Development Plan and would not detract from the amenity and safety of the wider area, and the planning committee agreed unanimously.