Published: Thursday, 24th September, 2009 9:23am
ACTION GROUP HIT OUT AT £30M PACKAGE FOR VILLAGE
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A LOCAL action group is hitting out over a proposed cash injection in support of a new housing development.
Renfrewshire Council have said the £30million investment into Bishopton will bring a boost to the village in light of the planning application on the former Royal Ordnance Factory site.
But campaigners claim the site earmarked for the new development will put the public's health at risk.
The £30million would include a new school, a new community centre, transport and environmental facilities - and will be put in place if final planning permission is granted.
Renfrewshire Council's Planning and Development Policy Board is expected to decide on the final detailed planning applications for the site in the next few months.
Those planning applications contain the developer's plans for decontaminating and remediating the site.
However Bishopton Action Group are fighting against the development - with public health their central concern.
A spokesperson for the group said: "The recent court case relating to birth defects at Corby highlighted the dangers associated with remediating contaminated land.
"At Bishopton, not only is the public at risk from contamination released into the atmosphere through the disturbance of half a million cubic metres of contaminated soil, they are also at risk from pollution being released into the atmosphere from burning contaminated buildings."
The group is also slamming the 'community' initiatives planned for the area.
The spokesperson added: "We believe that this agreement is a poor deal for Bishopton - for example, 1700 houses can be occupied before the developer is required to provide a primary school.
"This will lead to overcrowding in Bishopton Primary and cause chaos on Old Greenock road with all the additional school traffic."
A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: "The agreement that the developer will fund £30m community investment applies to whichever company takes forward development on the site.
"The scale of that educational, community, transport and environmental investment will be a massive boost for the community.
"Regarding issues of contamination and remediation, an independent Examination in Public (EiP) in 2007 found 'no contamination of the ROF site that raises issues of sufficient concern to preclude identifying Bishopton as a community growth area.'
"All remediation issues are currently being assessed as part of the consideration of the detailed planning applications.
"As for pupil numbers, there is enough capacity in local schools up to the construction of 1700 homes."
Council Leader Derek Mackay added: "The conclusion of this agreement for multi-million pound investment is a tremendous boost."
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Sandy Smith
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Sep 25 09 22:58
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Although the Reporter at the EiP did not "preclude Bishopton being identified as a community growth area, she did express concerns about the current development proposals and made a number of recommendations which appear to be getting overlooked or sidelined.
anon
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Sep 26 09 12:34
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was the point of the story, that if the development goes ahead over the years, it would have those community benefits as part it? its good people get to know about the two sides
Bishopton Action Group
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Sep 27 09 21:41
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Great emphasis is placed on the figure of £30 million. At present there is NO developer, therefore this section agreement was drawn up with the landowner, BAE Systems. Redrow pulled out of the development several months ago. Until a DEVELOPER comes along and agrees to make an investment then this section 75 agreement is no better than a wishlist. Section 75 agreements are not set in stone. Developers can and do renegotiate the terms of section 75 agreements. Developers up and down the UK are currently trying to renegotiate their section 75 agreements because of the current housing slump and economic climate. If a developer comes along in the future, probably the first thing that they will try to do is renegotiate the section 75 agreement. Therefore there is absolutely no guarantee that all the items in the section 75 agreement will be implemented. We do not consider that the section 75 agreement is a very good deal for Bishopton particularly in relation to health and education. You can read more details on the website www.bishoptonactiongroup.org.uk
baware
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Sep 28 09 20:42
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Bishopton people will not have the wool pulled over their eyes with £30M investment headlines . This is clearly insufficient to provide the facilities , remediation and reclamation of a site which covers 963 hectares. In addition, there is no developer = section 75 is meaningless.
John McCreadie
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Sep 28 09 22:54
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BAE Systems have always maintained that the costs of meeting their legal obligation to decontaminate the R.O.F.site were such that the only feasible way of funding this obligation was to seek consent for 2500 new build homes.Is this the same BAE Systems reported recently in the business press as being on well on track to have a cash pot of £500 million, in the company, by 2010.That apart, Bishoptons much trumpeted £30 million planning gain is predicated solely on the assumption that a developer will build and sell all of these proposed homes. Council Leader Derek Mackay hails this multi million pound investment as a tremendous boost. Any more pie in the sky Derek ?
Geraldine
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Sep 29 09 08:48
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As a resident of Bishopton, I'm furious commercial gain is put ahead of the health of local and surrounding communities. The ROF site is extremely toxic, and I don't believe for one minute that mistakes won't be made in the remediation of this land, considering they already think it's OK to burn contaminated buildings. So where exactly does the smoke particles from this form of remediation go? !!!!
fat boab
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Nov 19 09 10:26
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Seems a bit like sour grapes. NIMBY
All right to clog up the streets of another town but not this special village.
Of the complainers how many cars do they have per family/ household. 1 , 2, or even 3.? Pollution.
Stay in a village - need a car. Tere is a railway station!
In this modern age people need houses and industry has the expertise to build anywhere. I am sure many people would prefer if there places hadn't changed in 50 years, but unfortunately we are not allowed to live in a time lock.
How about a large prison with less houses or a power station. Waste recycling plant instead of shipping it to India and China.
Houston is a village or is it? New housing has been built there.
jaimie
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Dec 28 09 17:30
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I have stayed in houston for many years, with all the extensions over time, CROSSLEE (oil fields) etc etc it has changed very much for the WORSE!i know nothing can stay the same forever but bishopton would never be the same!! I think with 2500 houses it would be unacceptable! bishopton and houston would be ruined!! personally i think there should have been more coverage over BAE's money making scheme from Mc donalds!! WE AS A COMMUNITY CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN. BAE CLEARLY DONT CARE ABOUT SURROUNDING AREAS IF THEY ARE BURNING HIGHLY TOXIC BUILDINGS TO SAVE MONEY!!! WHAT ELSE WOULD THEY BE WILLING TO DO ONCE GRANTED?????
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