New houses for old folk

An application to build a retirement village in Newton Mearns is set to be submitted on Friday.

The masterplan for the proposed Whitecraigs Retirement village was revealed this week.

The full planning application follows two public meetings at Whitecraigs Rugby Club, a leaflet drop in Newton Mearns and advertisements at The Avenue shopping mall.

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Architect Jon Jewitt said: “We tried to reach as many people as possible with information about the village, including talking to the media, so that everyone in the area knows what is going on.

“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from people about the proposals and we’ve tried to incorporate as many of their suggestions as possible.

“The site, an old dyeworks in Netherplace Road, currently features a pond — and the pond will remain as a water feature in the new development and this we propose to do.”

Developers say the gated retirement village for over 55s will include 300 homes, a 66-bed care home, a village centre and allotments.

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Despite promises of the creation of 300 jobs, local politicians remain sceptical.

“There are simply too many speculative proposals out with the democratically approved local plan the effect of which is often to unsettle if not upset local residents,” said Eastwood MSP Ken Macintosh.

West of Scotland MSP Jackson Carlaw told The Extra: “Few will surely want to become isolated or removed from communities in which all ages are part of the daily experience of life.

“There are a number of issues regarding the concept which require to be explored in some detail.

“We are some way off yet and we should be careful not to be carried away - let’s ensure that any new scheme serves the public interest as well as that of the promoter.”

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