Salvage firm Synetiq refused planning permission for huge recycling site at Balmore

Permission was conditionally granted to Deafblind Scotland for a 12,000 square foot office development along with six residential units for the provision of respite care. The site for this is at Woodilee Road and Initiative Road in Lenzie.

The permission comes with several conditions and a legal agreement will need to be reached.

The board voted on whether to grant permission for SYNETIQ Ltd to convert a factory in Balmore Road, Balmore into a vehicle storage and recycling facility. The proposals had proven somewhat controversial with 48 objections from residents as well as Torrance and Baldernock Community Councils Mains Estate Residents Association and Baldernock Amenity Society, expressing a variety of concerns including the effects of dust, noise and vibration and the suitability of the local road network for the heavy transport vehicles to come and go from the rural site.

Although planning officers had recommended approval subject to various conditions Councillor Gary Pews (Liberal Democrat, Bishopbriggs North and Campsie) moved to refuse on the grounds the plans contravened local policy and his concerns over the impact of 20 transporter journeys per day.

The board voted 14 to three in favour of this amendment and the application was refused. A vote was also required with regard to an application from West Homes to construct two apartments, with parking and landscaping, to the north of Balfleurs Street in Milngavie. This time it was planning convener Rosie O’Neil (Liberal Democrat, Bearsden North) who moved to refuse on the grounds that the proposed buildings would be out of keeping with the character of the area, which mainly consists of villas and bungalows built in the 1930s, would represent overdevelopment in that location and encroach on the local cemetery. This was agreed.

Next, two similar applications – both Bearsden to demolish an existing property in a conservation area and replace them with new apartments were refused. The first was at 35 Boclair Road and the other was at 11 Colquhoun Drive.

In both cases Councillor O’Neil moved to refuse on the grounds that the developments were out of keeping with the area and represented overdevelopment of the conservation area and both applications were refused, as were the related applications for consent to demolish the existing buildings.