Current major developments
Community Centre
The application for minor revisions to the newly approved plan for the Community Centre is now with the planners. The large hall and the link between the two school buildings have gone. The library will be placed in the small school, along with provision for commercial offices spaces, while the 1880s building will provide meeting rooms of various sizes and a hall. Kitchen facilities will be provided to allow for increased use and to help replace the wooden building beside the small school. Landscaping will seek to integrate the site into the surrounding streets, instead of being behind a wall as at present. Progress is being made in moving towards finding a contractor to begin works in the near future.
St Columba’s School
The application by St Columba’s School was rejected by Inverclyde Council and the Scottish Executive Reporter (P/PPA/280/108). In the light of this the School have started to plan afresh, consulting with local groups, especially their neighbours, to see if a plan can be brought forward that will be more satisfactory all round. Current indications from the School are that, after a great deal of hard work, they are closing on new proposals.
Balrossie
The Scottish Executive approved the plans for Balrossie. The house and grounds have now been transferred to the developers who are now in liquidaton. No application for Building Warrant has appeared in the register of applications.
Smithy Brae
The house and flat development at Smithy Brae was approved after appeal to the Scottish Office Reporters Unit (P/PPA/280/111). A set of conditions were laid down for the site. At present some preparatory work has been done on the site, but no move yet to remove the cottages on the edge of the site or to begin the main work.
Duchal House
An outline enabling planning application to fund restoration of Duchal House by building housing at Stepends (just off the Lochwinnoch Road) and Renton’s Field (near the south end of the Avenue) has been lodged. At present this proposal does not have the amount of detail that would be expected of a proposal seeking to alter the Green Belt established in the Local Plan.
Minor Works
Most of the planning applications and work in the village are extensions, and alterations, to existing houses. The limited availability of land for new houses renders this the most likely route for most people who wish to stay in the village but need more room.
Parking and Traffic
This remains of concern to the Civic Trust. A meeting has been held with Council Officials to explore ways to develop a strategy to cope with peak traffic and the persistent parking difficulties throughout the day.
Planning
Planning laws have changed recently and a brief summary of them. Along with some more information on Duchal can be found in the article submitted to the Advertizer. Click here to view. Planning applications for Inverclyde for each year from 2005 onward and any decision reached on them can be viewed as a pdf document on the Inverclyde Council website at: www.inverclyde.gov.uk/GeneralR.aspx?id=767&catid=1189 Building Control applications and decisions from 2005 can be found by visiting the Council website at: http://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/GeneralLnc.aspx?id=380&catid=1114 This is now organised into separate years. Both files can be searched for Kilmacolm or Quarriers. In line with Scottish Executive directives, planning applications can be viewed online at http://planning.inverclyde.gov.uk/Online. This has good search facilities to help find applications.