Grammar site flats approved

Dec 18 2008 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

PLANS for 128 flats on the site of the soon-to-be-vacated Uddingston Grammar building were this week given the go-ahead.

Councillors granted Barratt West Scotland permission to demolish the Old Station Road building’s extensions and construct three new blocks containing 62, 40 and 18 flats, respectively, with car parking.

Planning approval also covered the conversion of the original C-listed school building into eight flats.

South Lanarkshire received eight letters of objection to the development - four of which came from a single property neighbouring the school.

Concerns included loss of trees on Gardenside Street, the loss of amenity space and the height of the proposed three- and four-storey blocks of flats.

Uddingston Community Council also objected to the plans on the grounds of scale, density and road safety.

However, organisations consulted, including Network Rail, Scottish Water, and Scotland Gas Networks, did not submit any objections to the plans.

In a document put before South Lanarkshire’s planning committee on Tuesday, executive director Iain Urquhart accepted that the development would impact on a nearby garden area, but added that “proposed open space will provide a setting for the listed building and will enhance the amenity space at this location”.

He also pointed out that trees on Gardenside Street would be affected by the proposed work. However, a condition of approval required a detailed landscaping scheme for the development.

Responding to Uddingston Community Council’s concerns, he stressed that the plans accorded with relevant policies and guidance and that they did not amount to overdevelopment.

He added: “The scale of the proposed buildings is in keeping with their surroundings and will not result in any overlooking of privacy issues.

“In terms of road safety, Roads and Transportation Service, who have been consulted on the proposals, have offered no objection, subject to conditions.”

Mr Urquhart also pointed out that Barratt West Scotland had agreed to pay for off-site traffic control measures in the vicinity.

l Pupils are expected to move into the new Uddingston Grammar building at Meadowbank in January.

To prepare for the move, pupils have been given a few extra days’ holiday. Fifth- and sixth-year pupils return on Wednesday, January 7, and the remainder will go back the following day.

Headteacher John Mackay said this week: “We are looking forward to pupils and teachers benefiting from the new state-of-the-art facilities and are sure the new school will be a fantastic place of learning for everyone.”