Gartloch Gardens | Public Exhibition

1. What feedback was received from Event 1 and how was this considered at Event 2?

The first consultation event was well attended, with over 70 people viewing the consultation material on the day. We received many positive and constructive comments at the first consultation. We also registered several concerns and considered challenges on matters that are important to the community. These are summarised below:

• Infrastructure capacity and necessary upgrades
• Impacts on greenspaces, ecology and wildlife
• Types of housing to be delivered
• Safety and active travel accessibility
• Construction Impacts
• Heritage considerations incorporated into design.

These themes are identified on the first board displayed at Event 2. The design of the development was progressed and information shared at Event 2 which was informed by these key themes, with information responding to these queries integrated across the information boards. The emphasis on placemaking, landscaping, local heritage and active travel responded to the key themes raised at the first event.

In addition, the FAQs below are available to answer some of the more specific questions raised at Event 1. The FAQs have now been updated to reflect feedback received at Event 2.

A pre-application consultation (PAC) report will be submitted alongside the application which will detail the comments made by members of the public at both events and how these have been considered within the submission.

2. What is Planning Permission in Principle?

Planning Permission in Principle (PPP) is a type of planning application which seeks approval for the general principle of a development before submitting detailed plans. It’s a way to test whether a proposed development is acceptable in theory, without committing to specifics like design or layout.

Planning Permission in Principle is not a detailed planning application. If PPP is granted, a further application called Approval of Matters Specified in Conditions (AMSC) would be submitted to agree in the detailed aspects like design, access and landscaping.

3. When will the survey data gathered be available for the public to view?

The project team is currently undertaking a wide range of site surveys and environmental assessments to inform the Environmental Impact Assessment and PPP submission. This information will be available to the public following the submission of the application to Glasgow City Council in Autumn 2026.

Survey work is ongoing and data and environmental information cannot be shared prior to submission.

4. Is this public land, and what loss is given to the removal of the countryside?

The land is predominantly within the private ownership of Apsley (Gartloch) Limited and McColl Holdings Limited. There are parts within the red line boundary where Glasgow City Council are the landowner albeit these are limited to areas along Gartloch Road and Westerhouse Road.

5. What is the overall benefit to residents and the City of Glasgow, and

The proposals will deliver the development of much needed housing which will actively deliver on key national ambitions while also delivering an increased pipeline of housing to address the ongoing challenges faced through the national and locally declared housing emergency.

• The proposed housing will provide choice for prospective home owners and contribute to reducing pressure on housing affordability by bringing demand and supply into better balance.
• The proposals will result in additional population which will benefit local businesses through the increase in footfall and new expenditures into Easterhouse Town Centre and surrounding area.
• The proposals will create construction employment during the construction period. • The proposals will create operational jobs for local residents through the delivery of flexible commercial space.
• The proposals will raise revenue through both council tax and business rates receipts.
• The variety of new public and open spaces will be delivered enhancing access to the site and wider landscape it sits within. This will undoubtedly strengthen accessibility to the Seven Lochs Wetland Park.

6. Is there any consideration to social housing onsite?

Glasgow City Council planning policy does not require the delivery of affordable housing on mainstream housing sites in Glasgow. Glasgow have recently published their proposed plan for City Development Plan 2 which maintains that no affordable housing contribution is required for housing sites in Glasgow.

Notwithstanding this, a range of tenures of housing are currently being considered onsite. The final tenure mix will be determined by market demand at the detailed planning stage.

7. Are proposals based on earlier planning frameworks dating from around 2013, and if so, what updated assessments have been undertaken?

Planning permission in principle for a residential development on-site was approved, subject to the conclusion of a Section 75 legal agreement at the Planning Committee in 2009. While the Proposed Development draws on this previous application for background information, all technical assessments are being updated to take into account changes in site characteristics, the nature of development in the area, and local and national planning policies.

8. What ecological baseline surveys have been completed, including breeding bird and protected species assessments?

A range of ecological surveys have been completed on-site.

As part of the current proposals, an ecological constraints survey was carried out to inform the EIA Scoping Report, which helped to agree the parameters of the forthcoming Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be submitted in support of the application.

A full suite of ecology surveys are being undertaken, the scope of which have been agreed with Glasgow City Council, in consultation with NatureScot, through the EIA scoping process. These include habitat and NVC surveys, bird surveys, and protected species surveys such as great crested newt surveys and water vole surveys.

The EIA will provide full details on the assessment of ecology, protected species, and the potential for effects on the Bishop Loch SSSI.

9. How has the proximity to Bishop Loch SSSI influenced site selection and development scale?

The site has been selected to ensure it is outside the SSSI boundary. Through an iterative design process, the Proposed Development will evolve to avoid/minimise impacts on the SSSI. The EIA Report will consider the potential for impacts on the SSSI within the LVIA, Ecology and Hydrology, Flooding and Peat chapters.

10. What infrastructure assessments have been undertaken, particularly in relation to school capacity, traffic and local services?

The proposed scope of the Transport Assessment has been submitted to the Council to ensure agreement on the assessments required to support the application. At present, several traffic counts and surveys are proposed to inform our assessments.

An Education Impact Assessment and Health Impact Assessment will also be submitted alongside the forthcoming PPP application. These will fully assess the potential impacts of the Proposed Development on these services and outline any proposed mitigation measures (e.g., developer contributions to school extensions, if required). Further discussions will be held with Glasgow City Council as part of the pre-application process.

The description of the Proposed Development includes Class 10 uses. This means services such as a nursery or GP could be supported on-site within the potential neighbourhood centre if required.

11. How has cumulative development in the wider area been considered in current proposals?

Committed development and infrastructure will be included within the baseline of the technical assessments undertaken to ensure cumulative impacts are properly considered.

The requirement for any cumulative assessment within the EIA will be agreed with the planning authority through consultation.

12. How have you informed the local community?

We have been liaising with both elected representatives and community groups. The team organised a flyer drop to over 900 properties; a statutory notice has appeared in the Glasgow Times; and we have sent digital copies of our materials to stakeholders, inviting them to share them with their followers.

We also have a dedicated project phone line and email address and remain available to answer questions raised.

13. What is the history of the site? Did this not used to be farmland?

The Site is currently vacant greenfield land with a historic agricultural use. The site has not been farmed at all since 1982.

In addition, two mineshafts and a well were indicated to be present. This suggests that mineral extraction has taken place beneath the Site, at least to some extent.

14. What is being proposed?

The key elements of the Proposed Development are summarised as follows:

• up to 800 residential units across a mix of tenures;
• up to 500m2 of commercial floorspace (Class 1A, Class 3 and/or Class 10);
• a minimum of two new vehicular access points;
• internal road and pedestrian network;
• landscaping;
• SuDS;
• open space; and
• biodiversity enhancement measures.

The precise mix, density and layout will be based upon the comprehensive masterplanning process currently underway.

A north-south road will be provided through the site, connecting Westerhouse Road and Gartloch Road.

15. Is an EIA going to be provided with this application?

Yes. An EIA Report will be submitted alongside the PPP application. The scope of this report has been agreed with Glasgow City Council in consultation with a number of statutory bodies including SEPA and NatureScot.

The chapters proposed for inclusion at present are:

• Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment
• Ecology & Ornithology
• Hydrology, flooding and peat
• Drainage and the water environment
• Geology and Ground Conditions
• Transport and travel

Archaeology and Heritage, Noise and Vibrations and Air Quality have been scoped out of the EIA by GCC. These topics will still be assessed by standalone reports within the planning submission.

16. What heritage and archaeological assessments have been undertaken to support the planning application?

Prior to Event 1, a desk based assessment of heritage and archaeological was undertaken to support the EIA Scoping Report. Following Event 1, a heritage and archaeological walkover survey was completed which will inform the assessment of heritage and archaeology within the planning submission. A Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment Report will be submitted as part of the planning application which will outline if any further assessments are required.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and West of Scotland Archaeology Society (WOSAS) have been formally consulted by GCC on the EIA Scoping Report. They will be formally consulted again at the point of planning submission. Both parties were content with the scope and methodology of the assessments proposed.

17. What assessments have been undertaken regarding existing drainage capacity and system resilience and how is drainage and the water environment being considered within the submission?

Assessments of existing drainage capacity/ infrastructure is currently being undertaken to inform the EIA. Previous recorded issues in the area are acknowledged. The proposed drainage strategy will be designed to ensure no adverse impacts on local infrastructure or the surrounding hydrological environment including the Bishop Loch SSSI. The drainage strategy proposed will accord with all relevant SEPA and GCC guidance.

Impacts on the water environment will be considered within the EIA. SEPA and Scottish Water have both been consulted through the EIA scoping process and will continue to be consulted as the application moves towards submission stage.

As this application is for Planning Permission in Principle, further information on the detailed drainage strategy will be developed and agreed with the Council at the detailed design stage.

18. How are cross boundary impacts (between Glasgow and North Lanarkshire) being considered?

North Lanarkshire have been consulted on the proposals through the EIA scoping process and will be a consultee when the planning application is submitted.

Assessments undertaken to support the planning submission will consider cross-boundary impacts including transport and landscape and visual effects. The study areas for the assessments undertaken have been defined based on the best practice guidelines and the professional judgement of the project team and is not directly influenced by the Glasgow/ North Lanarkshire boundary.