Controversial plans to remove trees and expand sales centre withdrawn

Controversial plans to tear down trees and expand a van and sales centre in Paisley have been withdrawn again amid a backlash from residents.

Architects recently submitted fresh proposals on behalf of Classic Land and Property, which, had they gone ahead, would have seen the Northern Vans site in Linwood Road extend into a small woodland behind it.

The blueprint for an office, workshop, and valet shed, as well as portable buildings and approximately 100 storage containers, represented a scaled-back version of an application that was retracted last year.

However, the revised bid was pulled ahead of last week’s planning and climate change policy board, with Renfrewshire Council officers recommending refusal.

It will come as a relief to concerned neighbours and others who were insistent that the redesign would still be ill-suited to this particular area.

A resident of Linwood Road told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The main objection was the wooded area and the trees that would have been decimated, which was a big bone of contention.

“The trees have been there for a long time, and they help the environment. I don’t know why they would think this would be acceptable to anyone.

“It’s such an unsuitable place to have storage units, next to houses. They should consider people’s way of living. That road out there is also very busy.

“The majority of people who live on Linwood Road are happy that it’s been withdrawn.”

Earlier this year, a letter from Thomas Bradley, director of Northern Vans, outlined the steps taken to adjust the proposals following initial opposition from residents.

It said: “The loss of scrub vegetation to accommodate the central hardstanding area has been compensated with a landscape proposal incorporating planting specifically to increase native species and to promote biodiversity.

“We have appointed an ecological consultant who has carried out a detailed wildlife and fauna survey and demonstrated to the council that there will be no impact on protected species, whilst also employing a specialist tree consultant who has assessed the existing trees and considers the existing vegetation to be of low woodland value.”

The letter confirmed the proposed workshop and valet shed had been relocated to the southern boundary to avoid any “overshadowing or acoustic disturbance.”

It added: “The proposed stacked containers have been reduced to single containers from the northern, eastern and central areas to avoid any perceived overlooking of the proposals onto existing gardens.

“The proposed containers have been stepped away from the boundaries through the widened landscape buffer strip. As a consequence of the changes, there has been a reduction of the overall numbers of containers by 45%, which will serve to reduce the access and egress traffic accordingly.”

While councillors on the board would have had the final say, the application was recommended for refusal by the council’s chief planning officer.

A report said: “The proposed development will result in the loss of woodland and biodiversity and have a consequential significant detrimental impact on the ecological value of the site and will not make a positive contribution to the place.

“There are no significant and clearly defined additional benefits associated with the development which would outweigh the adverse impact on woodland and biodiversity.”

Councillor Jim Paterson, convener of the board, confirmed the application had been withdrawn and wouldn’t be discussed at last week’s meeting.