COUNCILLORS IGNORE LOCAL OPINION AND APPROVE LOCAL PLAN

Campaigners opposing the inclusion of the Redmoss Farm site in Milton of Campsie have slammed local representatives for ignoring the massive opposition to the development from the local community who they represent. The Milton of Campsie Greenbelt Preservation campaign have led the fight for the removal of the popular and ecologically significant local greenbelt area from the East Dunbartonshire Local Development Plan 3 which has earmarked the site for development of 80 new affordable homes. On Thursday 12th November, councillors backed the local development plan despite 669 objections (42% of the total number of objections to the plan) and a petition signed by 333 local residents opposing inclusion of the Redmoss Farm site in the LDP. Many of the objections raised concerns about the site’s ecological significance, as well as the capacity of local services such as public transport/roads and schools to cope with additional housing, not to mention the desire to protect precious greenbelt land around the village. Two other major concerns raised by members of the community were the location of the site given it does not meet the Council’s own guidelines on the distance to the nearest bus stop and the density of housing proposed on the site which again does meet the Council’s own guidelines. The Council recognise that the latest housing needs analysis data in the 2014 “robust and credible HNDA2” indicates that delivery of all the proposed developments in the plan will result in a huge housing surplus of 88% in East Dunbartonshire through to 2029; but nonetheless base their plan on the outdated and inaccurate HNDA1 which has a base date which preceded the effects of the recession which begun in 2008. Alan Harris, Secretary of the MOC Greenbelt Preservation campaign commented: “It is bitterly disappointing that elected representatives and council officials have chosen to ignore the facts surrounding the proposed development site and the huge public opposition to this development. We are supposed to live in a democracy and whilst we recognise the opposition to other developments in the plan, none came anywhere close to the volume of objections from throughout our village. “There is no denying this site is hugely popular with local residents and of significant ecological value, the village road network is already struggling to cope, our public transport provision is already inadequate and the proposed density of 80 houses on this 1.62 hectare site is double the Council’s planning guidelines (17-25 dwellings per hectare). “There is no denying the need for housing across the council area but we believe this should be provided on the basis of the most recent data on housing need and every effort should be made to protect our precious greenbelt. The concept of building an 88% surplus of housing is ridiculous and we hope that Government Ministers and the Reporter will see sense and uphold the previous Reporter’s decision that that the ecological and environmental value of Redmoss Farm outweighs the need for affordable housing” The Milton of Campsie Greenbelt Preservation campaign is representing widespread local opposition to the proposed development of the Redmoss Farm site as outlined in the EDC Local Development Plan 3. Ends 13 November 2015 Issued by Alan Harris, Secretary, Milton of Campsie Greenbelt Preservation – secretary@mocgreenbelt.org

699 OBJECTIONS TO REDMOSS FARM IN THE LDP!

Analysis of the Report on the LDP for the Council Meeting this Thursday shows the following at paragraphs 4.8 to 4.16 (pages 99 - 102). 4.8. In total 781 separate representors responded to the representation (whole of ED) 4.10 States that 122 of 444 that could be identified as from a particular "settlement" i.e. 27.5%, relate to Milton of Campsie 4.12. The 781 representors submitted 2,085 responses. 4.13. The validation stage firstly ensured the removal of responses which were void because they were blank or did not contain enough information to validate the representation. Secondly, the validation stage filtered out a number of responses which were duplications, for example where an individual submitted both a paper and electronic version of the same representation. The consequence of this validation process was that a total of 1,682 responses were taken forward to the allocation stage of processing. 4.14 The 1,682 responses were then allocated into the schedule 4 issues. The purpose of this exercise was to ascertain how many individuals made comment on a particular issue. Many respondents submitted multiple responses about the same issue in different representation forms. These responses were therefore included in one issue and set out as various sub-issues within the issue. For example responses covered various sub-issues relating to specific development sites such as Redmoss Farm. Other responses contained comments on a number of distinct issues. This meant that responses were split and allocated to the appropriate issue. As a result the final number of representors in respect of Redmoss Farm is stated to be 269. This includes the petition of 333 names counted as one. On this basis the total for ED is 1223; so we are 22%. 4.15 Table shows 699 of these 1682 responses were from Milton of Campsie i.e. 42% This exceeds my wildest expectations which were for around 500 separate responses. 4.16. However, the Scottish Government Department for Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) have advised that the number of Schedule 4 Forms should be reduced and issues combined. In particular, the DPEA advised that individual sites should not have their own Schedule 4 Form. This has therefore resulted in a reduction in the number of representations per issue as in some instances the same representor had submitted responses to all of the combined issues which then went on to be merged. The total number of representors commenting on each of the Schedule 4 Forms is 1,089 but our total is still 269 i.e. 25%. It should also be noted that the final total of 1089 includes 245 Supporting Regeneration and Protection of the Green Belt and a 575 commenting on other issues. In terms of representations on the house building sites themselves we account for 269 out of 630, which is 43%. We have twice as many objections as the next highest number which is Milngavie with 145. Summary 42% of all the responses to the LDP, 43% of objections to house building sites and 25% of the respondents were from Milton of Campsie. Well done and thanks people!!

FIGHTING FUND RAISES £2,200 IN 5 WEEKS

NEWS RELEASE COMMUNITY UNITES TO SUPPORT GREENBELT PRESERVATION CAMPAIGN In just five weeks the local community have united behind the Milton of Campsie Greenbelt Preservation campaign and donated over £2200 to fund the fight against the proposed development of the Redmoss Farm site. A fundraising plea was issued initially to pay for an independent ecological survey of the site to provide expert evidence supporting the case against the proposed development included in the East Dunbartonshire Council Local Development Plan 3. Almost 120 individuals from more than 50 streets throughout village have donated to the fund demonstrating the scale of opposition in the community to the proposed plan to build homes on this popular and ecologically significant local greenbelt area. The ecological survey has now been completed as reported in last week’s Kirkintilloch Herald and raises serious questions of the evidence included in the Local Development Plan. The remaining funds will now be put towards commissioning a Traffic Impact Assessment of the area surrounding the Redmoss Farm site. Alan Harris, Secretary of the MOC Greenbelt Preservation campaign commented: “The generous support of the local community in the past few weeks demonstrates the breadth of opposition to the proposed development on this popular and significant local amenity. We started the campaign in April with a handful of campaigners and now have over 200 people signed up to help preserve our greenbelt. “We have invested £800 in the ecology survey and are now tendering to instruct a Traffic Impact Assessment for Redmoss Road and the surrounding area. Initial quotes show this will cost in the region of £4000 and we call on residents to continue to get behind the campaign and donate what they can. “We continue to explore opportunities to build an evidence-based case to oppose the development and preserve this precious local greenbelt space.” The Milton of Campsie Greenbelt Preservation campaign is representing widespread local opposition to the proposed development of the Redmoss Farm site as outlined in the EDC Local Development Plan 3. Ends 17 September 2015 Issued by Alan Harris, Secretary, Milton of Campsie Greenbelt Preservation Email – secretary@mocgreenbelt.org