Ten houses on the banks of the Clyde at Bothwell given the go-ahead

May 13 2010 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

PLANS for 10 houses, by the banks of the Clyde in Bothwell, were approved this week.

The developers are to build the houses on 1.93 hectares of grassland adjacent to 7 Old Bothwell Road.

Five letters of objection to the Bothwell Property Development Company’s proposals were lodged with South Lanarkshire Council.

Environment body SEPA had raised flooding concerns over the development, and the Scottish Wildlife Trust was concerned it could have an adverse effect on wildlife like bats, badgers and otters.

However, planners pointed out approval would be conditional on the relocation of a ‘crib wall’ outwith a ‘200-year flood envelope’ and a detailed species and habitat survey.

Bothwell Community Council expressed concerns about traffic volumes in the area and visual impact.

However, the authority’s executive director (enterprise resources) Colin McDowall believed that, while part of the site was greenbelt, the development was justified since this would be garden ground and the scheme’s “sensitive” design raised “no access or infrastructure implications that cannot be dealt with through planning conditions.”

Mr McDowall also told South Lanarkshire’s planning committee: “I am satisfied that the character and amenity of the area would not be impaired by reason of traffic generation, parking or visual intrusion.

“It is considered that the development has been designed appropriately in the context of its location and that it incorporates a suitably high standard of materials to ensure that the proposed dwellings will not be out of character with surrounding development or the landscape character of the area.

“I am also satisfied that the dwellings would be positioned a sufficient distance away from existing properties to ensure that there will be no adverse impact to those properties in terms of overshadowing or loss of privacy.

“In addition, the issues raised by SEPA can be dealt with through the use of planning conditions and therefore there are no infrastructure implications arising from the proposals.

“Furthermore, the applicant has agreed to the submission of a financial contribution of £6000 for the improvement of community facilities in the area in lieu of providing play facilities within the site.”