Resistance to Inchwood plans

Residents living near the site of the proposed Inchwood Farm housing development in Queenzieburn will fight against the plan.

As reported in last week’s Chronicle, North Lanarkshire Council is to consider a planning application from Marshall Brown which seeks permission to construct up to 200 houses on the former Inchwood Farm.

Several residents have grouped together as Inchwood Community Group.

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They provided a joint statement to the Kilsyth Chronicle stating their position.

It reads: “Inchwood Community Group, formed by residents of the Inchwood area, are strongly opposed to the planning proposal to build between 145 and 200 houses on the green belt area of Inchwood.

“The development would have negative consequences for not just the Inchwood area, but also the surrounding towns and villages,

“The proposed site is not connected to any existing settlement. There would be a very high level of car ownership, and the traffic increase to the A803 would be dangerously sited and an increase in queues and accidents would be inevitable.

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“There is not sufficient infrastructure for the development. Local schools would be in danger of overcrowding; the electricity supply would be impacted; Scottish Water have already identified issues connecting to the waste water network.

“SEPA have identified flood risk areas within the development. Views from the Antonine Wall and other local landmarks would be negatively impacted. Local wildlife such as deer, hares, badgers and breeding birdlife will be displaced.

“A similar development proposal was made in 2002. After a full public enquiry and detailed report, it was comprehensively rejected on the grounds that it was against planning guidelines and offered little or no benefit to nearby villages. This remains true to this day, and there is no reason to breach local and national planning policy for this development.

“We encourage local residents raise and objection to North Lanarkshire Council, and we call upon the council planning committee to protect the local environment and reject this development outright”.

If approved, the plan would see a mixture of two, three and four bedroomed homes constructed on the site, with one quarter of those designed for the affordable housing market.