Revised proposals for thousands of North Lanarkshire homes

A revised Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) for a “landmark” housing development just off the M8 has been submitted to North Lanarkshire Council, including a major affordable housing allocation.

Orchard Brae Ltd has updated plans for its EuroPark project which proposes housing, retail, leisure and community facilities to complement the Eurocentral employment hub, taking into account the completion of the M8 motorway upgrade and community feedback from the initial round of consultations in 2016.

With the new transport infrastructure now complete, the developer has been able to further hone its masterplan proposals to integrate with the new road layouts and press ahead with refreshed proposals for 1,600 private homes, collectively entitled ‘The Villages’, and more than 1,000 social affordable and market rent properties.

The new plans see a reduction of homes from the 3,000 units which were originally mooted last year.

Orchard Brae is in preliminary discussions with a major affordable housing provider and believes that this element of the proposals will help to provide a diverse range of houses suitable for all amid a vibrant new community, representing a significant contribution to North Lanarkshire’s housing supply.

In addition, EuroPark will also be taken forward with housebuilding partner, Dundas Estates, which has committed to developing one of the first phases of the private development should it come into fruition.

The mixed use proposals further include a health village, while new cycle and pedestrian routes have been earmarked for the site, intersected by the Monklands Canal and Calder Water, along with hotel, conference, retail and school facilities.

As a key element of the site, Orchard Brae hopes to formalise and improve the green network locally, retaining at least one third of the land as open green space, which would include improved canal routes and heightened access and leisure opportunities for new and existing residents.

The PAN notice pre-empts a detailed planning proposal which is expected to be submitted early 2018.

Orchard Brae director, Scott Gillespie, said: “As our plans for the site continue to gather momentum, we are excited by the huge possibilities of this landmark project, particularly now that the M8 upgrade has been completed, allowing us to integrate our masterplan with the new transport networks and junction nearby.

“We have also demonstrated our commitment to working closely with North Lanarkshire Council and adapting our approach in line with their thoughts, particularly by reducing our original plans from 3,000 to 2,600 homes.

“Furthermore, we have gone above and beyond the required local authority stipulation by proposing that a third of our housing allocation is affordable.

“If approved by the local authority, EuroPark will provide modern, high-quality and affordable living spaces for all – and we are proud to be delivering such a transformational investment in a proposed new community between the settlements of Airdrie and Coatbridge.

“We are thrilled to have homebuilders Dundas Estates on board and invested in our plans, as it will be through key partnerships like these that the development will be brought to life.

“A development of this size would make a significant contribution to not only North Lanarkshire’s requirements, but also the Scottish Government’s ambitious targets for delivery.”

Mr Gillespie added: “We believe that our investment in North Lanarkshire of a total of approximately £410 million will create around 930 direct jobs, of which some 475 would be full-time equivalent (FTE) local jobs, addressing local labour market needs and providing job opportunities for the long-term and youth unemployed.

“It would also create a peak of approximately 2,500 temporary construction jobs, helping to support the local and wider area’s construction sector.

“Furthermore, we believe there would be significant regeneration benefits in the surrounding communities, equivalent to the value of at least £8.4m per annum, through a reduction in both unemployment and in homelessness.”

Orchard Brae and the project team remain keen to consult closely with local residents and other key stakeholders as they look to further shape their proposals.

They expect to embark on a second round of public consultation events later this month.