A Lanarkshire tax office campus is set to be demolished after permission in principle was granted for the site’s redevelopment as a residential area.
Each of the existing buildings at the HMRC site on St Mungo’s Road in Cumbernauld town centre will now be knocked down following the successful application from Cannon Capital Developments
Full proposals for house types and layouts would be submitted as part of a more detailed future application, but councillors on North Lanarkshire’s planning committee were told that an indicative plan of around 150 houses and flats is currently suggested.
An additional access point, at the northern end of St Mungo’s Road, would be required in order for more than 140 homes to be accommodated on the 4.7-hectare site.
One planning condition requires the provision of 3500 square metres of open space, including either an equipped play area or a financial contribution of £500 per new home to upgrade existing council facilities.
Tom Johnston, the Cumbernauld East councillor, queried during this week’s virtual meeting where the financial contribution would be spent, and was advised that it would be in the Cumbernauld area.
A sum equivalent to a quarter of the number of units on the site is to be provided by the developer towards affordable housing provision; while planners also added conditions on garden sizes and parking spaces.
Councillors unanimously gave the go-ahead for the redevelopment, agreeing with officials that the development “would not detract from the amenity and safety of the wider area”.
The closure of Cumbernauld’s inland revenue office was announced in 2015 as part of UK Government confirmed plans to close to relocate staff to 13 city-centre regional hubs.