Jordanhill Campus housing decision put on hold for pre-Determination Hearing

Housebuilder CALA Homes is proposing to transform the historic site of the University of Strathclyde’s former Jordanhill Campus into luxury flats.

Hundreds of residents have protested at the plans over what they claim will be the loss of green space and the impact on wildlife and biodiversity, due to more than 70 trees being cut down on the land.

Objections also included concerns over a lack of social housing, the absence of amenities within the development, traffic management and the impact on local schools.

Members of Glasgow City Council’s planning applications committee were expected to give the scheme the go-ahead at a meeting on Tuesday after the executive director of development and regeneration services recommended the plans for approval.

But instead the committee unanimously agreed that a pre-Determination Hearing must take place before a decision is reached on the proposal and will hear arguments from both the developers and the local objectors within the next six to eight weeks.

A judicial review is also to take place at the Court of Session next month.

Community leaders in Jordanhill welcomed the decision to delay the judgement.

Ken Robertson, a spokesman for Jordanhill Community Council, said: “Jordanhill Community Council wishes to thank the Planning Applications Committee for their deliberations today.

“We are encouraged by the outcome. Now we will be able to present our case directly to the decision-makers and stress that local people must be involved in shaping their own future.

“Glasgow’s new administration has said it is committed to community participation and so are we.

“Today is only a first step but we and our partners remain focused on taking this to Judicial Review in the hope that one day we might get a development at Jordanhill Campus of which all can be proud.”

A date has yet to be fixed for the pre-determination hearing while the Judicial Review is scheduled for November 16 and 17.

CALA has previously half of the development will remain as greenspace, and maintains it will “create a wide range of much needed, high quality homes”.

An independent economic impact assessment revealed the project would create almost 200 new jobs and significantly boost the Glasgow economy.

The development would raise an extra £1.3 million in council tax, while 420 trees are set to be planted at the site, CALA added. A new community facility operated by Glasgow Life will also be made available to local schools.

A spokesperson for CALA Homes (West) said: “We are disappointed that our planning application for a premium residential development at Jordanhill Campus has been continued to a hearing. We’ve invested a great deal of time, expense and effort into our proposals and designs which have received a positive recommendation from the council’s planners.

“We remain confident our plans will deliver much needed, high-quality homes that are sympathetic to the site’s important landscape and heritage features with more than 40 per cent of the proposed development retained as green space. Redevelopment of this derelict site will also create almost 200 new jobs for the city.

“We look forward to making our case at the hearing.”