CAMPAIGNERS in a Renfrewshire village hope to block plans for a major housing development on a greenbelt site.
Gladman Developments wants to build around 100 homes on land at Barochan Road, in Crosslee, and will be hosting a public exhibition next week to give residents a chance to have their say.
But members of Houston Community Council have already made it clear they aim to halt the development.
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John McEvoy, the group’s chairman, said: “We have significant concerns regarding this proposal and believe housebuilders should focus on brownfield, sustainable locations and the much-needed regeneration of the Royal Ordnance Factory, Paisley and north Renfrew before considering important greenbelt sites where there is no local need for what they propose.
“Sales of the Barratt houses on the site of the old Merchiston Hospital are apparently sluggish and the Taylor Wimpey proposals on the site of the old Johnstone Hospital have been put on hold, so clearly there is no justification for a further attack on our greenbelt.
“Once this greenbelt is lost, it is gone forever, so building needs to be an absolute last resort.”
Mr McEvoy made it clear he accepts the need for new homes but is asking that more suitable locations are found for developments.
The suggested site (in red) just outside Crosslee
He said: “Renfrewshire has an urgent need for high-quality affordable houses that will meet the needs of our young people and elderly people living on their own. Providing these in the correct locations will also help meet the aspirations of regenerating Paisley.
“You can’t regenerate a town if nobody wants to live in it because there are no desirable homes within their price bracket.”
The Crosslee site is one of 13 submitted for consideration as part of Renfrewshire Council’s Local Development Plan but an assessment highlighted several issues.
It stated new homes would have a negative impact on the local landscape character and would be detrimental to the visual amenity of the area.
The assessment also stressed that development would put more pressure on the junction at Deafhillock and Barochan at Brookfield, Linwood and Johnstone.
It concluded: “The developer has provided sufficient details to suggest this site is deliverable. However, this is a prominent greenbelt site at the southern entrance to the village and it is considered that development of this site would have a detrimental impact on the village setting.”
A spokesman for Gladman Developments has encouraged local people to attend the public exhibition at The Carrick Centre, in Houston, which takes place from 3pm to 7pm on Tuesday.
He said: “The exhibition will include further information on our initial proposals and provide the local community with an opportunity to share their views and feedback on the proposed development, which will help shape the proposals as we move towards preparing a planning application.”
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A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson added: “We can confirm that a Proposal of Application Notice has been submitted for a potential residential development at Crosslee.
“The developer will now engage with the local community before considering whether to submit a full planning application and any comments should be sent directly to Gladman Developments.
“The site has previously been assessed by Renfrewshire Council through the Local Development Plan as not being suitable for development.”
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