Public Consultation

Thank you for visiting our pre-application consultation web-page.

Westpoint Homes Ltd are preparing to submit applications for planning permission and listed building consent to East Renfrewshire Council in relation to the redevelopment of the former Eastwoodhill Care Home site at 238 Fenwick Road, Giffnock, G46 6UU.

In line with Scottish Government advice, it is not currently possible to host a face-to-face public consultation event. As an alternative, and in line with the Scottish Government guidance, information about the redevelopment proposals for this site will be available to view on this website for 21 days from 7^th July to 28^th July 2020. We invite comments and feedback on the proposals via the survey at the bottom of this web-page or via email to [email protected]

On Wednesday 15^th July 2020 members of the project design team will be available between 3pm and 7pm to respond to any queries you may have. Please submit queries via email to [email protected] or by phone to Iceni Projects – 07527918199. During this time we will endeavour to respond to all queries received. If this is not possible, you will receive a response to your query within 48 hours.

The deadline for submission of comments and feedback to the project design team is 28^th July 2020.

Please note that comments submitted as part of this pre-application consultation are made to the applicant only and are not passed directly to the Local Planning Authority. Interested parties will be able to provide formal representations to East Renfrewshire Council as Planning Authority in due course, once a planning application is submitted.

This public consultation relates to a future planning application for a proposed residential development at Eastwoodhill. There was a previous public consultation in November 2018. Since then a number of detailed studies have been carried out and the design has been developed through consultation with East Renfrewshire Council Planning and Roads Officers.

The Site

The site includes a category B Listed Building which was built as a private residence in the mid 1800s. An extension to the original building was added in the 1960s. The extension is of poor condition and design. The buildings have most recently been in use as a Care Home which was closed down in July 2018 as it was no longer considered fit for purpose and could not be easily upgraded. The site is currently vacant.

The site is bounded to the south by Fenwick Road (A77), to the east by existing residential flats at Hutchison Court. To the north of the site, there are substations and the office of East Renfrewshire Council is located to the west, separated by tree screening.

The site is in a highly accessible location with the nearest bus stops being located outside the site, on Fenwick Road. The site is approximately 1km (12 minute walk) from both Giffnock town centre and train station and from Williamwood train station.

The site is outwith the Conservation Area, although it is in close proximity to the boundary of Giffnock Conservation Area which runs along Fenwick Road to the south east of the site. The boundary of Lower Whitecraigs Conservation Area is to the south west of the site, beyond Eastwood Toll.

Existing Site Plan

The proposed development

The proposed development involves the sensitive conversion of the Listed Building from a care home to 4 residential flats. This would secure the long- term future of the Listed Building. It is proposed to demolish the existing poor-quality extensions and buildings in the grounds and introduce new residential flatted villas into the grounds along with landscaping proposals and car parking. A total of 56 apartments are proposed.

The proposal includes the retention of quality mature trees, as recommended by the tree survey. Some trees at the site are proposed to be removed to enhance the setting of the Listed Building and to facilitate the proposed development. Enhanced landscaping is proposed as a key component of the proposed development.

Access to the development would be from the existing accesses on Berryhill Road which would be widened to improve safety.

Westpoint is willing to make a financial contribution towards the signalisation of the junction at Fenwick Road and Berryhill Road, if required by East Renfrewshire Council.

During demolition phases of the proposed development, Westpoint would provide appropriate demolition mitigation measures. A Construction Traffic Management Plan would be prepared and implemented in due course. Westpoint is very experienced in working in urban locations and this site does provide them with more space on site than would typically be the case for lay down and drop off space and parking during the construction period.

Conversion of the Listed Building

The setting of the category B listed Eastwoodhill House has significantly changed in the years since it was originally constructed. Originally, it lay a significant distance from the main road and would not have been visible from it. There were buildings to the south of the main house and other buildings on the main road including a lodge house. It would have had an outlook to the west over Eastwood Park.

A Heritage Setting Assessment has been undertaken by Turley Heritage and Townscape consultants. The setting of the listed building has been significantly altered since the 1960s and makes only a limited contribution to the special interest of the listed building. The proposed development would improve the immediate setting of the listed building by removing the intrusive modern extensions and new buildings within the site are positioned so that the building retains its relative prominence in the site.

The introduction of a number of flatted developments since 1970 have transformed the character of this area. To the west, the construction of the council offices, leisure centre and school in Eastwood Park in the 1980s also changed the setting significantly. The large substation to the north further altered the character of the setting.

Initial Design Concept

Our proposal retains the listed building and mature trees confirmed as good specimens in the Tree Survey.

We propose removal of the extension and existing buildings in the grounds which are of poor quality.

We seek to define an attractive arrival space in front of the listed building. New pavilions are located to frame this space and provide passive supervision over it.

The villas are inspired by the Listed Building. They are informed by its key datums, proportions and orientation. The entrance lobbies and landings seek to be an extension of the landscape and becoming meeting spaces for residents.

The form and layout of the buildings give them a positive aspect in all directions, creating passive supervision of the grounds and a balance of community and privacy and reinforcing views to and from the Listed Building.

Each villa is different to respond to its individual aspect and position, but all fall within a similar family to create a cohesive design.

The approach enhances the setting of the listed building and creates a journey through a series of courtyards.

The images below are early visuals from November 2018, exploring the view of the new villas on Fenwick Road and relationship to the Listed Building. This previous proposal laid the foundation for a series of design alterations which seek to improve the relationship with the Listed Building and with the surroundings.

Proposed Design Developments

We have taken the opportunity to review the relationship between the scale of the proposed buildings and the existing listed building and buildings in the surrounding area.

The new proposals can be seen in the following visuals. The southwest and southeast villas are set back further from the road and each other. This allows trees to be planted in front of them softening the southern edge of the site. The buildings sizes have also been reduced slightly and the forms altered to shorten elevations to relate more closely to the listed building.

The villa next to the listed building has also reduced in footprint, been set back and the distance from the Listed Building increased to allow landscaping in between.

The diagrams below show an approach and consideration to the elevations. The topmost diagram reflects the previous November 2018 proposal, which included a glazed atrium and the top floor was brick on the main courtyard facade. As illustrated in the lower diagram, shortening the elevations and introducing a change to the treatment at the top floor and more generous and better proportioned window rhythms which make ground and first floor read together helps strengthens the relationship with the key datums and proportions of the listed building.

• Reduced Building Footprints

The building footprints have been reduced by narrowing the cores. The width of the entrance halls ties in more closely with the main hall in the listed building and the entrance doors become more in keeping with the listed building entrance from a scale perspective. This allows more generous landscaping around each of the buildings and improved setbacks from roads, existing trees and boundaries.

Footpaths have been refined to make pedestrian routes to the buildings clearer and again to improve setbacks and the amount of soft landscaped areas. The increased setbacks allow some more hedge planting to further soften the interfaces between car parking and buildings.

• Southwest & Southeast Villas

The plan of the south west villa has been flipped. This enables the length of the east elevation which faces the listed building to be significantly reduced in length. The length of the south east villa has been shortened, its west elevation which faces the listed building is also shortened. This further enhances the relationship with the listed building.

• Building Spacings

The above moves further improve the very generous spacings between buildings. For comparison, Buchanan Street in Glasgow is around 21m wide. The spacing between the front buildings is now 63m.

• Listed Building Eave and Ridge Datums

The new villas carefully respond to the eave datum on the Listed Building. The position of the villa to the east of the listed building has been refined so the set back of the top floor responds to the ridge of the listed building.

We consider the simplicity of the architecture of the proposed buildings compliments and frames the Listed building as the centrepiece in the composition.

What's Next?

Thank you for taking the time to find out more about our proposals for the former Eastwoodhill care home site. An interactive consultation will take place on Wednesday 15th July between 3pm and 7pm. If you have any questions, please contact the project design team via phone or email during this time (Tel. 07527918199 or [email protected] ). We shall endeavour to respond to your queries within 48 hours.

It is anticipated that applications for Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent will be submitted to East Renfrewshire Council in Summer 2020. When the applications are submitted, the Council will write to neighbours to notify you and an opportunity to make comments to East Renfrewshire Council on the proposals will be available. The applications will be accompanied by technical information including drainage proposals, heritage setting assessment, ecology survey, tree survey, noise assessment, transport assessment and detailed landscaping plans.

Your comments are important to us as we develop and finalise the plans for the proposed development. We would appreciate if you could provide feedback via the online form or by email to [email protected]