Housing shortage to be tackled
Published 4 Jan 2013 09:30
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THOUSANDS of new homes are on the cards for Barrhead and the surrounding areas under plans revealed last month.
The latest local development plan hopes to deliver more housing than has been outlined previously, but still stops short of the 5,700 homes being demanded by the Scottish Government.
The latest figures show that at the end of November, there were 2,152 people on the waiting list for council houses in East Renfrewshire.
At least 900 of the proposed new houses will be affordable.
Councillor Kenny Hay, who chairs East Renfrewshire Council's planning committee, said: "I welcome this new plan which allows for the controlled long-term release of small parcels of land from 2012 till 2025 in Barrhead, Newton Mearns and Maidenhill.
"This plan prevents damaging piecemeal developments of key areas of land in Neilston, Uplawmoor, Kirkhill, Clarkston, Busby, Giffnock and Netherlee, which all Labour councillors rejected.
"This plan will preserve these important neighbourhoods for the future."
The proposed plan allows for the building of 900 affordable homes throughout East Renfrewshire, with the majority of the 4,100 homes outlined in the plan expected to be built in Barrhead.
Previously derelicts of land such as the former Shanks Porcelain site are currently being demolished to make way for a 400-home development, and the former Volvo Truck Maintenance site on Kelburn Street has also been earmarked for development in the near future.
However, it is not clear at the moment how much affordable housing will be made available as part of these individual developments.
Councillor Hay continued: "This plan also allows for the building of 900 affordable houses which is urgently needed.
"Building these affordable houses will give the local and national economy a welcome boost, provide worthwhile employment and by investing in the housing industry will help those businesses that support local building companies."
Waiting times for council homes depend on how the applicant's housing need is assessed according to the extent of housing need - the greater the need, the more likelihood of housing.
There are also 27 homeless families with 46 children in homeless accommodation in East Renfrewshire.
The latest local development plan will go out for public consultation from January until April next year.
This article appeared in Barrhead News 26 Dec 12
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