A PROPOSAL to create a community growing facility in Barrhead has been granted permission by the council.

The planning application, which was approved in March, was submitted to fence off an area within the Barrhead Waterworks on Glasgow Road and install a Polycrub Polytunnel for food growing, a meeting space, a toilet, and associated sheds for storage.

According to the plans, the area was derelict land which was formerly used as a site for Barrhead Water Treatment works.

However, currently, the whole area is used as a recreational and learning space by the local community, following a project to develop wildflower and orchard spaces in 2014.

Granting planning permission, the council outlined several factors the applicant would need to follow while changing the use of the land.

One of these is that any previous unsuspected contamination which becomes evident during the development needs to be brought to the attention of the council.

The planning board say this is due to it being in the interest of public health and to protect users of the development and the wider environment from the effects of contamination.

The planning application was submitted in February.