A developer behind plans for a cycle hire hub and apartments has appealed against a council condition which makes his project “unviable”.
East Renfrewshire Council approved a proposal which includes converting the Red House on Ayr Road into a holiday let and building eight bothies and a cafe.
But planning officers decided permission should only be granted until June 2026, when the site would need to be “restored to its former condition”.
The applicant, Kenny Neison, says this condition “renders the implementation of the development unviable and in effect nullifies the benefit of the planning permission”.
Councillors on the East Renfrewshire’s local review body will consider the appeal at a meeting on Wednesday.
Mr Neison and his representatives want the condition to be removed, so there is no time limit on the development.
The appeal, submitted on his behalf, states: “The development proposed and which has been consented in line with planning policy, will re-active a former tearoom as a facility to serve cyclists using the popular A77 cycle route, and which will support tourism, recreation, active travel and healthy lifestyles, and all in the East Renfrewshire countryside.
“The consented development involves our client making a significant investment in the council area, with consequential economic benefits, including direct and indirect job creation together with the further promotion of the A77 cycle route.
“However, condition number one of the planning permission needs to be removed for the proposals to be implemented and for these various benefits to be realised.”
“Unfortunately, condition number one renders the implementation of the development unviable and in effect nullifies the benefit of the planning permission.”
The reason for the condition, given by planning officers, is to allow the council “to monitor the use of the site and to ensure that the proposal is viable and the use remains appropriate to the rural location”.
But the applicant believes the condition is “neither necessary or reasonable”.
The Red House is located at the former Loganswell Old Toll, a stopping point for travellers for over 100 years. It was on the main arterial road linking Glasgow to Kilmarnock, until the M77, which runs parallel, was constructed.
Mr Neison wants to provide a place to hire bikes — and a hub for repairing and charging bikes — as well as the holiday accommodation, cafe and a washhouse for cyclists.
The appeal adds: “The condition itself renders the proposal unviable as the level of investment required to firstly implement the proposal and then subsequently restore the site to its former condition in less than five years’ time are substantial and cannot be committed to without any certainty that the buildings and use can remain after the five year period.”
