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Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Delay in Glasgow planning applications due to staff shortage
Glasgow has the second highest cost per planning application in Scotland, a report has found. The local authority charges £12,259 while the Scottish average sits at £6,679 per application. Despite this, a backlog of cases is building up, leading to concerns about applications being dealt with in time, members of the city's scrutiny committee heard. READ NEXT:Glasgow's drug consumption centre is working says health secretary During the meeting, councillor Ken Andrew, who chairs the planning committee, told fellow councillors that the council was struggling to recruit and maintain staff in their planning department. Councillor Andrew also said that this was causing an increase in the amount of time it was taking to review applications. There are two types of applications, local applications which can be anything from a shop front, a house extension or a change of property use of less than 5000 sq m of new floorspace and major or national application which is generally bigger than the thresholds already listed. Local applications generally have a two month determination timescale and if discussions are going well the council can agree an extension for making a decision. READ NEXT:Gangland violence 'out of control' John Swinney is told after Spain shootings However, if there hasn't been an agreement about an extension of time to determine then the applicant can submit an appeal called an appeal against non-determination. Major or national applications generally have the same principles but the council has four months to reach an outcome before the applicant can appeal. During a recent scrutiny committee councillor Ken Andrew explained some of the difficulties. He said: 'My understanding is that what has been happening in planning is that the planning team have struggled both to recruit and maintain staff. 'A decision was made to restructure how the planning function was managed to try and keep hold of the staff we had managed to recruit. 'What we have seen is this blip and this increase in the amount of time it has taken to get planning applications through and in front of the committee so it is an issue that is being managed. 'I am sure it will be interesting for the committee to get a better level of information than I am able to give you here.'
STV News
4 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Planning applications backlog as council struggles to recruit staff
Concerns have been raised over the amount of time it is taking to process planning applications in Glasgow. Glasgow has the second highest cost per planning application in Scotland, a report has found. The local authority charges £12,259 while the Scottish average sits at £6,679 per application. Despite this a backlog of cases is building up, leading to concerns about applications being dealt with in time, members of the city's scrutiny committee heard. During the meeting, councillor Ken Andrew, who chairs the planning committee, told fellow councillors that the council was struggling to recruit and maintain staff in their planning department. Councillor Andrew also said that this was causing an increase in the amount of time it was taking to review applications. There are two types of applications, local applications which can be anything from a shop front, a house extension or a change of property use of less than 5000 sq m of new floorspace and major or national application which is generally bigger than the thresholds already listed. Local applications generally have a two month determination timescale and if discussions are going well the council can agree an extension for making a decision. However, if there hasn't been an agreement about an extension of time to determine then the applicant can submit an appeal called an appeal against non-determination. Major or national applications generally have the same principles but the council has four months to reach an outcome before the applicant can appeal. During a recent scrutiny committee councillor Ken Andrew explained some of the difficulties. He said: 'My understanding is that what has been happening in planning is that the planning team have struggled both to recruit and maintain staff. 'A decision was made to restructure how the planning function was managed to try and keep hold of the staff we had managed to recruit. 'What we have seen is this blip and this increase in the amount of time it has taken to get planning applications through and in front of the committee so it is an issue that is being managed. 'I am sure it will be interesting for the committee to get a better level of information than I am able to give you here.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Glasgow Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Council update on Glasgow flats plan after protest
Noah Developments wants to provide 32 homes at Mount Florida bowling club, but its proposal has sparked opposition in the community. Campaigners, who surrounded the club on Saturday to show their support for 'one of Mount Florida's only remaining green spaces', will now have a chance to address the committee. The developers and supporters of the project will also have an opportunity to speak. Noah's plans went before councillors on Glasgow's planning committee this morning. Committee chairman Cllr Ken Andrew, SNP, proposed a hearing 'given the amount of interest in this, both positive and negative'. READ NEXT: ScotRail peak fares to be scrapped in major change READ NEXT: 'I don't sit down to it': Brave woman defies odds to battle life-limiting condition However, Cllr Imran Alam, Labour, suggested councillors should make a decision today (Tuesday). He said: 'I personally think we have enough information to make a decision today.' There were five votes for a hearing and three against. The council received 280 objections to Noah's plans and 130 letters of support. Under Noah's proposal, the eastern half of the site would become publicly accessible open space including a 'retained and refurbished' clubhouse. A legal agreement is planned to ensure public access is maintained. The developers have said it intends to hand the open space and clubhouse to a community organisation to run but will maintain it itself if no group comes forward. But Mount Florida Community Trust, which was formed by residents in 2019 with the aim of purchasing the site, wants to retain all of the 'irreplaceable' green space. It said over 120 residents gathered to 'hug' the club on Saturday, demonstrating how much the community values the land. After the meeting, Cllr Holly Bruce, Greens, whose Langside ward includes Mount Florida, said: 'This housing development does not meet the social or environmental needs of the Mount Florida community.' She said that 800 people signed a petition in support of keeping the green space in its entirety, adding: 'This development will mean a large loss of green space in a community that is already deficient in quality and accessible green space, it even goes against the council's own open space strategy.' Cllr Bruce also believes the developers would be building 'even more unaffordable housing during a housing emergency'. 'Rents in Mount Florida are through the roof and social housing waiting lists are ridiculously long,' she added. 'Expensive, deluxe housing is not what Glasgow is crying out for.' Council planners have recommended the project can be approved, stating it would bring a 'derelict brownfield site back into active use'. It is Noah's second attempt to secure planning permission after an original proposal for 40 homes was rejected in 2020. An appeal to the Scottish Government failed too. The city's planning committee did give the green light for Mount Florida Community Trust's plan for the site, which included retaining the clubhouse and southern bowling green and installing a tennis court and fitness area. But Noah owns the land and the trust's planning permission has now expired. Members voted to close the bowling club, founded in 1909, at the end of the 2019 season due to 'falling membership numbers'. Noah has said it took on board feedback from its failed appeal, resulting in a scaled back development and retention of the clubhouse. It believes the redevelopment would provide 'much needed housing', which will 'enable the funding and the creation of a significant community open space and community hub occupying 50% of the site, to be gifted at no cost to the local community'. In a report to councillors, planners stated SportScotland has advised there is 'a clear excess of provision' of bowling greens in the area and the loss of the facility is accepted. They add the proposed agreement will ensure 'ongoing public access to the open space, clubhouse and maintenance of the space'.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council decides on appeal over new takeaway proposal
A bid to overturn a council decision to refuse plans for a new takeaway in the city's south side has failed. The developers behind a proposal to convert an empty shop at 124 Newlands Road urged councillors to reconsider after planners refused their application. Officials had ruled the use would have a negative impact on neighbours, but an appeal on behalf of 'Newlands Takeaway' argued there was 'no evidence that the hot food takeaway would be a problem of any kind'. However, Glasgow City Council's planning local review committee upheld the decision at a meeting on Tuesday. The applicants planned to open the takeaway, on the ground floor of a four-storey tenement, until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 11pm over the rest of the week. Planners decided the use would 'highly likely lead to a loss of residential amenity' to the surrounding flats and, as the site is not in a 'town centre', opening until midnight is 'not deemed appropriate'. They also said the plan would result in 'more than 20% of the street block in hot food shop, public house or composite uses', which is against policy. Chinese restaurant 'The Real Wan' has now moved from Newlands Road to Mount Florida. However, an official told councillors: 'We understand the existing takeaway is relocating but just bear in mind it will have planning permission to operate as a takeaway. 'It could easily come back with that kind of use. We can't assume this would be the only one in the block.' The appeal argued that 'in terms of creating attractive and vibrant spaces it is better that all units be occupied rather than the spectre of empty and derelict units'. It added: 'Given that within the city, almost every street is a tenemental street… it follows that properties below tenemental flats must be used for uses such as that proposed but… it is necessary to impose a series of conditions that address the potential problem areas, namely noise, odours, smells, heat and refuse management and disposal. ' 'The appellant recognises this fact and has incorporated a range of measures that will ensure that these problems will not impact on residential amenity.' However, Cllr Ken Andrew, SNP, the chair of the committee, said: 'I think there is an issue here with the current hot food takeaway on this block. 'Despite the fact it may be relocating, it still has planning permission for hot food use so we could end up with two takeaways on this block which would be more than the 20%.' He also had concerns about a lack of 'maintenance schedule' for a flue, as it is 'problematic' when 'these flues are not properly maintained'. Cllr Andrew added details on bin storage were required as councillors 'can't be confident that they are not planning to store refuse in the backcourt, which would affect residents'. The council had previously rejected two applications to convert the shop into a takeaway.
