Renfrewshire Council is being accused of overseeing another 'Bishopton blunder' as it attempts to sell green space from under the noses of residents.
The local authority has this week confirmed it is seeking to sell the land situated off Ingliston Drive to a developer.
But people living in the area – who use the green space as a place to walk, get fresh air and play – say they were not notified of the council’s intention to sell.
Instead, they believed, as per a letter sent by the local authority to households last year, that the area was, in fact, being considered as a biodiversity zone.
Only in the past few weeks did they learn of the planned sale to a developer who, the Paisley Daily Express understands, wants to build 20 homes.
The transaction is due to be signed off by councillors at next week’s infrastructure, land and environment policy board. The furore follows news that the new-build Dargavel Primary School is not big enough with pupils to be housed in Portakabins to deal with the overspill.
But residents have vowed to fight the sale – arguing that they too could have bid for the site as part of a community asset transfer had they been armed with the information in time.
Jesse Mitchell, of the newly-formed Ingliston Drive Action Group, said absolutely no one on the street had been made aware of the sale until after the closing date had passed.
She said her neighbours were outraged at the potential loss of a space where children play and frail older people host regular walking groups.
She said: “The reality is that had we known about this we could have applied for funding and could potentially have put a bid in for a community asset transfer.
“We could have created a plan for allotments and a whole host of things ourselves if we had been told about it in July when an estate agent was appointed to market it.
“The council has told us that it had been identified as a potential self-build site in the local development plan. But at the same time that was published in the summer 2021, I got a letter through my door stating we were living in a biodiversity area and part of the green network which is being improved in North Bishopton.
“Why would I seek out the local development plan when another department in the council has sent us all a letter saying we are living in a biodiversity area. It’s this contradiction that we don’t understand.”
Jesse added: “The LDP states that, ‘land will only be used where housing building targets can’t be met as there is a shortfall’. Where is the shortfall in Bishopton?’ Dargavel Village is set to have 4,000 houses built by 2034!”
A spokesman for Renfrewshire Council said: “The site has been earmarked for housing in the council’s local development plans since 2006.
“The plan is available on the council’s website. Councillors will consider the proposed sale of this land at the infrastructure, land and environment policy board on January.”
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