Massive homes plan may get go-ahead

Dec 15 2008 by Alison Rennie, Paisley Daily Express

A HUGH and controversial development looks set to be given the green light at a special planning meeting today.

The application for the former Royal Ordinance Factory site in Bishopton has been given the nod by council planners but councillors will have the final say.

More than 2,000 letters protesting the move have been received by Renfrewshire Council, making it one of the most controversial planning applications ever dealt with by the authority.

The £400 million proposal by BAE Systems (Property Investments) Ltd and Redrow Homes (Scotland) Ltd for the site includes 2,500 homes, along with a business park, community facilities and a community woodland park.

There would also be extensive remediation of the site because it used to make explosives for the Army and Royal Navy.

A new motorway junction would be formed at the intersection of the A8/M8 and a separate planning application for this has also been given approval by council planners.

Two planning hearings were held last month to give people a chance to have their say. Villagers packed out Bishopton Community Centre and queued outside to hear what the developers had to say.

They are worried that the site is contaminated after years of weapons testing by the Ministry of Defence.

But government inspectors issued a report last year which found “no contamination on the ROF site that raises issues of sufficient concern to preclude identifying Bishopton as a Community Growth Area”.

Sandy Smith from the Bishopton Action Group said: “The group is pleased that Renfrewshire Council convened a Planning Hearing which gave them the opportunity to present their case directly to the Planning and Economic Development Policy Board.

“A few of them propose to attend the meeting to observe the outcome. The group believe that the current applications are not viable.

“They are relying on the councillors to recognise the shortcomings in the present applications associated with the redevelopment of the former ROF site and to resist any pressure put upon them to approve these applications as they currently stand.”

Scottish Conservative leader and Bishopton resident Annabel Goldie added: “The visible depth of community concern demonstrates how passionately the community in Bishopton feels about this issue.”