The Balfron Local Place Plan has now been officially submitted to Stirling Council. Firstly, many thanks to everyone in the community that contributed to the plan. Secondly, much appreciation to all those people who volunteered their time, effort and experience to bring the plan into being. And finally and by no means least, many thanks to the consultants for their expert guidance in leading us through the LPP process.
The feedback on the draft LPP has been positive and there was only the need for a few amendments. The most significant of the amendments include the removal of two of the proposals following the results of the community consultation. An explanation for their removal is provided below:
Retain Existing Units and Land at Little Camoquhill Depot as Employment Land: Proposal removed
Reasons:
- The area identified on the F3 plan included an area of housing;
- The area shown on the F3 plan did not accurately reflect the current area used for employment purposes i.e. it did not include an area to the south;
- Significant changes to the F3 proposal either in terms of the area shown on the plan and/or changes to the text to reflect current usage for both housing and employment would have required a further consultation period, which was not thought appropriate in this case.
Housing Site – Land East of Balfron High School/North of White Yetts Brae: Proposal removed
Reasons: Owing to the amount of objections received it has been decided to take out this proposal. We do however support the idea of further housing development in the Balfron area that follows the principles set out in proposal H1, and is at an appropriate scale and location.
What happens now?
Once Stirling Council have validated the Balfron LPP it will be registered publicly as a material consideration for planning decisions. This means that the Balfron LPP will have to be given due consideration in relation to the forthcoming Stirling Local Development Plan (LDP) due to be published in 2027, and any future strategic plans and site-specific planning applications that have an potential impact on the Balfron area.
This will be a great step forward for Balfron, and for other communities that have gone through the LPP process. This will be the first time that Balfron has produced such a plan and it will give the community more of a voice in helping guide future development in the Balfron area. Furthermore, there is an opportunity to implement the proposals set out in the document. For example, if we want a community hub we will need to devote community effort to make this come into being. This document can be used to support funding applications and give us confidence as a community moving forward.
If you are motivated to get involved, we really want to hear from you! The lifespan of the Balfron LPP is 10 years and within that period many positive changes can happen with the involvement of the community. To get involved or share any comments or thoughts, please contact us at:
In addition to this downloadable version, a printed copy of the plan will be available in Balfron Library and one will be held by Balfron Community Council.
