AN appeal lodged to oppose Glasgow councillors' decision to refuse planning permission to build flats on the site of Mount Florida Bowling Club has failed.

Noah Managements and Developments Ltd submitted the appeal to the Scottish Government's division of planning and environmental appeals (DPEA) after their controversial planning application, which would see 40 homes built on the Carmunnock Road site, was rejected.

Councillors rejected the proposal in November last year, despite being told by planning officers to approve the application.

Sue Bell, the reporter at the DPEA, has now upheld the decision to refuse the application.

Glasgow Times:

In the report it states: "Whilst I acknowledge the appellant’s desire to produce a design with its own unique qualities…I find that the design, scale, massing and choice of materials would result in a proposal that would appear out of character with its surroundings.

“Whilst the proposals would result in the creation of an alternative community facility… they would also result in a loss of approximately half the area of the existing community facility.

“The question is whether the value that would be gained from public access to half of the appeal site is sufficient to outweigh the permanent potential community use of the whole site.”

The decision to uphold the refusal of the planning application has been welcomed by Mount Florida Community Trust, who has stated that they feel vindicated by the call.

The group have campaigned against the use of the site for the modern flats since Mount Florida Bowling Club handed over use of the land to Noah Managements and Developments Ltd in 2018.

Allan Munro, a spokesman for Mount Florida Community Trust, said: "This was really good news for us.

"We were hoping that the reporter would see that the application should have been refused.

Glasgow Times:

"We had the councillors backing us up and now we have the reporter."

Although they do not own the land, Mount Florida Community Trust currently does hold an approved planning application to create a sports facility and community garden.

Allan said: "This is the first step in the right direction but the fight isn't over.

"Noah Managements and Developments Ltd still hold the land so it depends on what they decide to do from here on out.

"As a trust, we had a great support in opposition to the development and we want to thank local residents and also the Community Council for their support in this."

During the planning application process, the trust gathered around 600 objections to the proposed plans.

Allan also says that the trust will be willing to work with Mount Florida Bowling Club in the future to secure the use of the land for the community.

He said: "We are willing to work with the club to create a community space for everyone. As we say, this is good news but there are a lot of questions going forward."