Councillors have rejected a proposal to convert a business park in Newton Mearns into a housing development.

In the first meeting of its kind, councillors met for a 'pre-determination hearing' to look at an application for land to the west of Stewarton Road, Newton Mearns, which had been zoned for business park use as part of the Greenlaw development.

Given the downturn in the market and reduced demand for office space, the developer, Greenlaw Park Ltd, proposed the site could be converted to housing with 26.6% being set aside for affordable housing.

The planning 'pre-determination hearing' gives those involved in the application the opportunity to make a short presentation.

After presentations from the developer and a Newton Mearns Community Council representative, the council's planning applications committee decided to refuse the application citing the loss of business/industrial land and employment opportunities.

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A lack of evidence of a shortfall in the supply of land for housing was also cited.

East Renfrewshire's planning convener, Councillor Ian McAlpine, said: "We are keen on developing more affordable housing and in encouraging developers to get started quickly on work as a way of helping boost the housing and construction industries. However, that doesn’t mean that we should lose land that could provide longer term business space.

"One argument put forward was that there was a gap in the amount of land available for housing development. This is entirely inaccurate. There is no gap in East Renfrewshire of available land for housing.

"In East Renfrewshire right now there is approximately 1,2 0 0 units sitting with planning permission where housing could be developed. Instead of land banking sites with existing planning permission, developers could be working on those sites and could use them to deliver real affordable housing that could have a genuine benefit to residents right now.

"There is a clear gap and need for more affordable housing and we want to see more housing to help local families to cope with the cost of housing in our area."

East Renfrewshire was recently identified as having the highest average house price in the whole of Scotland at £221,3 09, an increase of +12.4% in the past year.

(JG/GK)