The Gateside Farm site, near the M80, will see the construction of 199 new homes, including 30 much needed affordable homes, as well as enhance the thriving community with a new village green, active travel routes and a play park.

Economic impact analysis commissioned by Barratt and CALA earlier this year estimated that the new development will cost £31 million to build and generate an additional £34m of gross value added (GVA) over the four-year construction phase.

As well as securing 63 direct construction jobs annually – including four highly prized apprenticeships - the development will support a further 84 jobs in the supply chain and wider local economy.

David Scott, managing director of Barratt Homes West Scotland, said: “As a North Lanarkshire-based business, I’m extremely proud of the proposals for Stepps. Barratt has a strong track record in delivering high-quality homes across different tenures in North Lanarkshire, having built over 1300 homes across 18 sites in the last 10 years. This Stepps site forms part of our future commitment to building in the region and since details of the proposals were released, we have been inundated with enquiries for sales from young families in need of new homes in Stepps.

“Barratt has a long-standing partnership with North Lanarkshire Council for the delivery of affordable housing and as part of the proposals, we will build 30 new affordable homes providing local families in need with high-quality sustainable, energy efficient housing, and a more, settled, secure future.”

Jim McIntyre, managing director, Cala Homes (West), said: “Receiving the green light from North Lanarkshire Council is a very welcomed milestone, and signals an exciting step forward in our commitment to investment across the region.

“Our proposals include the contribution of £1.55m towards educational provision across North Lanarkshire which will support capacity at both local primary and secondary school and we’re looking forward to working with local community groups as we work towards construction.

“The planning consent comes at an important time for the wider economy and will make a significant contribution towards recovery from the pandemic through the creation of job opportunities.”

Proposals incorporate a comprehensive range of high-quality homes, ranging from two bedroom-terraced housing suitable for smaller families to spacious detached five-bedroom villas, each of which have been sensitively designed to complement the area’s natural surroundings.

The site was granted Planning Permission in Principle for a residential development of up to 200 homes in 2018 and is allocated for housing development in the North Lanarkshire Modified Proposed Local Development Plan.