Affordable homes at site of former Falkirk Co-op set for approval

Falkirk Council is set to grant planning permission for a new social housing development with 78 houses and flats on vacant land that was formerly the site of a small shopping centre.

Newcarron Co-op, along with its cafe and pharmacy, was demolished in 2020 to be replaced by smaller units nearby on Ronades Road.

Since then, the site has remained vacant, although Carron Medical Centre has remained open and will not be affected by the development.

The new homes will all be classed as affordable housing and there will be a mixture of houses and flats, including wheelchair accessible accommodation.

The applicant has been in contact with a registered social landlord, Wheatley Homes, to deliver the new homes and funding is in place through Falkirk Council’s Strategic Housing Investment Programme.

The developers, Mactaggart and Mickel, say feedback from consultations influenced the final designs for the project.

The approved plans include a new, three-metre wide pedestrian and cycle link which they hope will encourage people to walk or cycle and improve connections to the local path network.

There is also a proposal to create a new crossing point on Carron Road, but this has yet to be finalised.

The planning permission is subject to conditions being met, including the completion of the new crossing.

According to the planning officers’ report, the council gave NHS Forth Valley the opportunity to request financial contributions as a result of this development however, the report notes that “no response to this request was received, despite repeated requests”.

The developers must also provide 18 parking spaces for cars and two for motorbikes for people attending the medical centres and the permission insists that access to the centre must be available throughout the construction process.