Developers submit plans for £30m Bo'ness housing development

A planning application has been submitted for a £30 million residential development in Bo’ness that will create more than 200 dwellings, including affordable homes.

An indication of how the proposed development would look. Picture: contributed.

Developer AWG Property and housebuilder Mactaggart & Mickel have made the submission, regarding the mooted site at Crawfield Road, to Falkirk Council.

The aim is for the development to have about 225 houses, and includes the delivery of roughly 75 “much-needed” affordable homes.

The project is also billed as creating further local spend of around £1.5m a year, which will support 30 full-time jobs in retail, leisure, hospitality, education and other service-related firms – and 35 jobs will be created constructing the homes.

It is also aimed for the development to include open space and landscaping, which could be used for allotments, community orchards or for sporting activities, potentially encompassing children’s play areas. An area for potential community use has also been allocated.

Also on the agenda is a variety of new paths, cycle routes and links, enhancing existing residential routes to the south of Bo’ness, and existing flooding issues will be addressed through new drainage works.

The delivery of the site serves to address a lack of housing land supply locally, the developers said, adding that the submission of the planning application follows “extensive” community engagement.

A spokesperson for the developers said: “There is a recognised shortfall in Falkirk Council’s five-year housing land supply, and a need for further housing sites to be approved, particularly when it comes to delivering affordable housing.

“This site goes some way to address the considerable demand there is in Bo’ness for more housing. Indeed, the feedback from our community engagement indicates that more than half stated that there was a need for more housing in the local area and recent sales by other housebuilders indicates that a majority of buyers are local.

“Prior to lodging a planning application, we engaged extensively with the local community, ensuring that we are delivering a development that is appropriate to the housing requirements of Bo’ness. Our proposals will also serve to enhance the local area and address some of the outstanding issues that exist around flooding and road safety.”

As well as the proposal that affordable housing be prioritised for local people, housing for the disabled “may also be delivered”.