Housing plans for former site of Abronhill High

Members of the Communities and Housing committee agreed to initiate a process to potentially deliver new housing stock at the site as well as homes for sale.

The council has a commitment to build 5000 new homes by 2035 and with this in mind will allow developers to tender bids to build 60 homes in the social housing sector as well as 30 for sale.

A report by Pamela Humphries, head of Planning and Regeneration, said: “Following consideration of available options it is proposed that the council should seek to obtain tender costs utilising the Hub South West Construction Framework for the new build social housing site at the former site of the Abronhill High School.

“The site is in council ownership and will be considered for viability following further ground investigations works and site restrictions. The holding service has declared the site surplus to requirements and site layout will be subject to planning and roads approval.”

Conservative group leader Meghan Gallacher criticised the scope of the council’s ambitions, citing a news story which claimed disabled residents in North Lanarkshire who need adapted homes were stuck on the housing list for up to 19 years – claims which were disputed by council officers.

Airdrie South councillor Ian McNeil, a member of the Labour group, claimed the Conservatives were “pretending to protect the disabled” while cuts to the welfare system were killing people.

He said: “It’s time to repair the damage done by the Tories over the last two generations.

Cumbernauld councillor Tom Johnston, leader of the SNP group, claimed the housebuilding figures compared poorly to the height of the New Towns movement in the 1960s.

A site at Old Glasgow Road in Cumbernauld Village has been removed from the council’s list of potential housing locations due to poor ground conditions.

Sites in Viewpark and Airdrie have been added to the new build programme instead.

Neil McGrory - Local Democracy Reporting Service