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Clydebank 1993 Local Plan and Public Inquiry
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We know there is constant pressure from housebuilders to acquire the countryside we want to protect, despite brownfield sites being available for their purpose. If we as an organisation do not fight to protect even small pockets of Green Belt land, and Councils give way to pressure from a developer, others will take this as a precedent making it harder for Councils to refuse future applications.
Clydebelt was consulted at all stages as the Clydebank District Council formed its 1993 Local Plan. We were pleased that this important document firmly incorporates the Green Belt and hills policies for which we have fought.
Carleith Steading
But we were mobilised into action when we discovered over a holiday weekend that Councillors intended to hurry through a change to the Local Plan immediately prior to the District Council Elections. This would have allowed release of an area of Green Belt land to developers. Clydebelt made its views known, turning out in strength at the Council meeting on Tuesday 5th May 1992, and the proposed change was deleted from the agenda.
Then John Lynch (Builders) Ltd forced a Public Inquiry on their appeal to have Green Belt land around Carleith Farm released for building. Clydebelt went to the Public Inquiry on Nov 15th 1993 to support the Council on this issue. But at the Inquiry the Planning Department disagreed with the official Council policy (and Clydebelt) on Carleith Steading, and the Reporter decided that it should be removed from the green belt. So we now believe that planning consent will be given to house building on the Carleith site.
Cochno Road
Clydebelt spoke up at the Inquiry to support the Council against appeals from three landowners to have Green Belt land released for building. The Reporter rejected appeals to release land around Three-Acres and No 8 Holding off Cochno Road.
Cochno and Edinbarnet
Clydebelt also opposed a move to put a clause into the Local Plan that seems to permit extensions, of any size, around Estate houses such as Cochno and Edinbarnet. The Reporter decided in our favour, and recommended:
"Within the area of green belt shown on the proposal map there will be a presumption against development - unless ... It forms part of an establishment or institution standing in extensive grounds (such as woodland policies or park land), provided that the development is of limited scale and visual impact, such that the rural character of the area is not adversely affected".
The Council has chosen to make the wording less specific:
"Unless ... It forms part of an establishment or institution standing in extensive grounds (such as woodland policies or park land), provided that the development does not adversely affect the countryside character of the area".
Clydebelt will need to be alert to any proposal that tries to take advantage of this looser wording. If it comes to another planning decision, then the Reporter's recommendations should provide the correct interpretation of the change to this clause.
