Flood Risk Management Strategies - (from an email from Councillor Manjinder Singh) - Consultation Meeting; 15 February, Kessington Hall

On 11 January, The Scottish Government launched Flood Risk Management Strategies to coordinate efforts to tackle flooding in Scotland.  They set the direction of future flood risk management, helping to target investment and coordinate actions across public bodies.  
A strategy is available for each of the 14 Local Plan Districts across Scotland.  
The Local Plan District for the south west of Scotland is the Clyde and Loch Lomond LPD.
The Flood Risk Management Strategy for this area is available for review via the SEPA website here http://apps.sepa.org.uk/FRMStrategies/clyde-loch-lomond.html
The plan below shows the extent of the Potentially Vulnerable Area (PVA) of the Local Plan District which includes East Dunbartonshire Council area:

PVA 11/04 - Kilsyth to Bearsden - north of Glasgow Cityhttp://apps.sepa.org.uk/FRMStrategies/pdf/pva/PVA_11_04_Full.pdf

A Local Flood Risk Management Plan is now being developed to detail how the Flood Risk Management Strategy will be implemented over the coming years.
To support this, a non – statutory consultation event is being held for our area to ensure a greater awareness of flood risk, the Flood Risk Management Strategy document and the development of the Local Flood Risk Management Plan.
The drop in session engagement exhibition will be held at:
Location – Kessington Public Hall, Lesser Hall, Milngavie Rd, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 2DP
Date – Monday, 15 February 2016        Time – 2pm to 7pm

The latest newsletter from East Dunbartonshire Council's Land Planning Team has been published on the Council's website at http://www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk  The newsletter gives an update on the Local Development Plan.

The association spoke with the Council recently about street litter bins and bins in local parks. These bins are emptied now only as and when required; all of the Council's waste disposal staff are meant to empty these bins as they go about their jobs. We will need to be vigilant and if there is a bin which needs emptied we should all feel free to contact the Council and let them know.

We can expect to see accumulations of leaves in the estate being cleared over the next few days and into next week.

A public consultation meeting on Phase 2 of the Bears Way Cycle Way is being held on Thursday, 19th November from 03.00 pm to 08.00 pm. It is being held in Kessington Hall. It is a drop-in session.

A consultation meeting on Improving People's Services in North West Glasgow is being held on Tuesday 17th November in Yoker Community Campus from 06.00 pm to 08.00 pm. Proposed changes in service provision are likely to have implications in the longer term for GP Out of Hours Services at Drumchapel Hospital; the provision of such services is the subject of a national and local review.

Planning applications

Clober Primary School has submitted a planning application for a biomass plant and associated flues under TP/ED/15/0473. MERA would welcome comments on this.

Tambowie Farm has submitted an application under TP/ED/15/0426 to construct a biogas plant processing matter by anaerobic digestion. Following our AGM, the Association would also like to know how the residents feel about this proposed development and the associated trucks etc.

The associated documents can be viewed by visiting http://www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/system_pages/planning_applications/planning_application_search.aspx
and entering the reference codes given above.

Local Development Plan

Local Development Plan – Pre Main Issues Report Housing Land Supply

The following information will be distributed to residents in the form of a flyer.

A representative from the Association recently attended an Engagement Workshop regarding the above.  Work is currently at an advanced stage in researching the Main Issues Report, which will support the preparation of a new Local Development Plan (LDP) for the area.  The LDP will replace the current Local Plan 2 and should be adopted in 2016.  The plan will guide the future use of land, set out proposals for development and, crucially, will provide the framework for considering planning applications.

EDC have identified that there is an unmet need for affordable housing within the area.  The Glasgow and Clyde Valley Strategic Development Plan and EDC Local Housing Strategy have confirmed that there is a significant shortfall in the level of affordable housing and private housing.  Some people are confused about the term affordable housing; this would previously have been local authority housing.  However these developments tend to be run by housing associations such as Key Housing, Cube Housing etc. EDC build very little properties themselves for subsequent rental. It is unknown whether the housing associations have to provide housing for a certain percentage of local people to rent. The term private housing is self-explanatory.  However it is unclear whether any developer in the private housing sector would be obliged to build first time buyer and smaller private housing.

The Development and Enterprise Policy Team at EDC presented suitable sites which could possibly be used to meet the shortfall of housing.  There were many throughout Milngavie and Bearsden, some very suitable and some not so suitable in the opinions of those present at the workshop, and opinions were varied.  In addition, at the Milngavie presentation EDC officials did not provide details of other areas identified throughout East Dunbartonshire and it was felt this information should have been provided.  MERA understand this was made available to the Bishopbriggs and Lennoxtown workshops.

The sites nearest our Association area are Craigton Woods, the woodland just off Hunter Road going up the hill towards Cauldstream Place, and the fields to the right and left of Chestnut Lane. One of the fields borders properties in Cauldstream Place, Dalnair Place and Dumbrock Road. Slightly further out are Tambowie Farm, Langfaulds fields (this is opposite Windyhill Golf Course), and Clober Golf Course.  There are other sites throughout Milngavie and Bearsden. We have not listed them all but they are available on the EDC website. As far as MERA is aware many of these sites have special designations on them within the current Local Plan 2 e.g. Greenbelt, Heritage Site, Ancient Woodland, Area of Special Interest to Wildlife, Tree Preservation Orders etc.  In order for them to be considered for housing the designation would require to be changed in the new proposed Local Development Plan. A couple of points to note also are the road infrastructure and the forthcoming primary school estate consultation.

Further information can also be found on the EDC website.

The Association appreciates that some residents may wish more information and to log their own views with EDC and their local elected members. Contact details for the local councillors can be found on the EDC website.

To contact MERA, please see the MERA contacts page.