DOUGALSTON, MILNGAVIE Promotional Masterplan Document December 2019 For British Land Company PLC CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 2.0 PLANNING POLICY 2.1 Redevelopment Plan Promotional Background 2.2 Planning Policy and Future Considerations 3. 0 REGIONAL SETTING 3.1 Historic Dougalston Gardens 3.2 Historic Milngavie 3.3 Regional Context 3.4 Landscape Character 4.0 SITE ANALYSIS 5.0 SITE APPRAISAL 5.1 Arboricultural 5.2 Ecological 5.3 Landscape and Visual 5.4 Access and Transport 5.5 Townscape Appraisal 6.0 DESIGN PRINCIPLES 7.0 LAND-USE 7.1 9-Hole Golf Course 7.2 Outdoor Activity 7.3 Glamping 7.4 Lodge Park 7.5 Commercial Hub 7.6 Care Home / Village 7.7 Residential 8.0 CONCLUSION Applicant: Planning Consultant: Design Team: Dougalston, Milngavie Promotional Masterplan Document 1.0 INTRODUCTION This Promotional Masterplan Document has been prepared on behalf of British Land Company PLC as part of an application to East Dunbartonshire Council to redevelop pockets of land within the Dougalston Golf Club for residential housing, a high-quality lodge park and additional recreation and commercial facilities. British Land Company have appointed the following experienced consultant team to appraise the proposed development site and contribute to the proposed layout: • Brindley Associates Ltd – Landscape Architects and Ecologists; • Gray Planning and Development Ltd - Planning Consultants; and • ECS Transport – Transport Planning and Engineering Consultants. Dougalston Golf Course lies in a unique location. At the last local development plan Examination, the Reporter agreed with British Land’s analysis that walking and cycling connectivity from the centre of the site to the centre of Milngavie is one of the shortest routes for an edge of centre location around the town. A very sustainable location. Go the other way east, and again, the connectivity from the site to the open countryside, and Mugdock Country Park beyond is also extremely well-linked but poorly promoted. This highlights the significant existing green space and connectivity benefits the location already offers. However, we believe without the right re-positioning and a new definition for this sustainable location, there is a concern that these attributes can be lost, or over looked. British Land wants to re-purpose the property fit for the 21st Century and to cater for changed leisure, health and well-being habits and needs – with greenspace and connectivity at the heart of the proposed development framework promoted to the Council. Broadly, there is a lack of provision of commercially viable outdoor leisure and recreation opportunities in the central belt of Scotland. Elsewhere in Scotland – ski resorts in the Cairngorms, coastal locations of Aberdeen, Angus, Fife and East Lothian provide the ‘go to’ locations for golf and the Scottish west coast and islands provide real wilderness, green and blue space for water, hill and adrenaline activities. Yet, the property lies less than 30mins from Glasgow and is extremely well-positioned to offer all-year (not seasonal) weekend and short break opportunities owing to short travel times. This is coupled with a prosperous local socio-economic profile, and great potential nearby to be a favourable location to meet an aging population, a mobile family population and a thrill-seeking ‘millenial’ population. This demographic will support the facilities intended to be provided in the re-purposed Dougalston. Taking a short step out of the town, and looking slightly to the east lies Mugdock Country Park, and large water reservoirs of Craigmaddie and Mugdock – large recreational areas a short hop from Dougalston. British Land’s vision is to place the proposal site within the outdoor destination hub that could be established here – a serious departure point for those seeking to accomplish the West Highland Way, or a short circuit loop around the reservoirs. Douglaston can therefore offer more than just green space, excellent connectivity and an ailing 18-hole golf course on the edge of Milngavie. British Land vision for the place seeks to retain the leisure and parkland feel, will not breach the boundary of the green space to do so, and modernise the offer for the potential holiday-makers referred to. This could be achieved by: • Reducing the 18-hole golf course to an 9-hole facility, with enhancement of the existing golf and sports facilities already offered. • Enhancing the offer with new commercial-focussed family-oriented eatery, gift shop and outdoor hire potentially linked to the theme ‘on the edge’. DOUGALSTON • Retaining the green spaces, woodland and re-purposing fairways to create a new parkland setting for retirement living accommodation – so close to town and so convenient. • Drawing on the visitor hub potential being ‘on the edge’ provide new holiday lodge accommodation. • To help improve the road, drainage and wider infrastructure, and to ensure the Climate Emergency of now is addressed, the re-development can will re-invest capital towards affordable and private homes at location closest ‘ON THE EDGE’ to the town. 1 December 2019 Dougalston, Milngavie Promotional Masterplan Document 2.0 PLANNING POLICY East Dunbartonshire 2.1 Development Plan Promotional Background Local Development Plan 2017 • Since 2009 through to the last local development plan Examination Report of 2016, the golfing market continues to decline, and the growth of smart leisure and ways and means of finding new ways to spend leisure have grown in popularity. Equally, since 2016, we now know of the strong likelihood of a dependent aging society with new needs and requirements. Affordability of homes to first time buyers, and the need more than ever to address wetter warmer seasons, rising sea levels and flood risks. This has made British Land re-visit its previous plans to better reflect the future and to ensure such an opportunity can assist the Council and its residents to tackle these issues locally. 2.2 Planning Policy and Future Considerations • In East Dunbartonshire there remains a need for housing (of a range of types and tenures) to meet the wider ClydePlan requirements for the long term. We also note the growing need for special or adaptable housing accommodation for the elderly, special needs and for those unable to enter the housing market. This is particularly in East Dunbartonshire and other local areas. • We note the national planning policy of needing to start with brownfield land opportunities first, before considering green sites. East Dunbartonshire, and particularly Milngavie and Bearsden has limited vacant or derelict land and is fortunate to be set in a green space location as it does. However the real risk is Dougalston becomes a vacant or lost loved green site turned to brownfield site. The potential is here now to reverse that risk. • The promotion site lies in the East Dunbartonshire Green Belt with respect to Policy 3 of the adopted Local Development Plan (2017). Some of the proposed new buildings would however be on the edge of the defined Existing Settlement of Milngavie. • The site is also protected for various local reasons including being a ‘community facility’ (Policy 7), and a ‘locally important garden and designed landscape’ (Policy 10). We would highlight the ‘local landscape area’ boundary to the east (Policy 8) whilst not a physical boundary provides a clear change in setting which will be highlighted in the analysis to follow in this document. • These policy matters are constraints that are designed to manage change, not stop change. The re-defined proposals of today are more sensitively considered to these policy areas and respect these. • The proposed new buildings and uses in the Green Belt, for leisure and visitor economy purposes are considered appropriate in terms of acceptable low-key low-impact and there are many examples of such buildings being located in countryside locations for recreational, forestry, farming or wider leisure activity needs as this is the most appropriate and compatible place for these to be. • The proposed new housing of c100 units (of private and affordable together) is significantly reduced in scale, form and capacity to the 2016 proposals, and are considered to be on a location chosen for its high accessibility and sustainable connectivity to local services. This in turn justifies the location identified for the care village element. This package of new accommodation is not only needed to meet policy requirements, it will be a vital component of the landowner and developer’s response to delivering much needed private investment into infrastructure facilities going forward. 2 December 2019 Dougalston, Milngavie Promotional Masterplan Document :\Y]L`VM/PZ[VYPJ.HYKLUZ HUK+LZPNULK3HUKZJHWLZ PU,HZ[+\UIHY[VUZOPYL 1 2 3.0 REGIONAL SETTING 3.1 Historic Dougalston Gardens MILNGAVIE SITE • In 1767, tobacco lord John Glassford bought Dougalston from the Grahams of Dougalston who were credited with bringing the first linen mill to Milngavie. DOUGALSTON • Glassford extended the mansion and ‘laid out the grounds anew in the most ornamental style’ creating a new loch and planting many new trees, including spruce and silver firs. above: Photo of the historic • In the following years the mansion and grounds changed hands until, in 1976, the house was centre of Milngavie demolished to make way for the new golf course. The local paper reported ‘ a reader deploring opposite: the passing of the lovely grounds to make way for the coming golfing and leisure centre’. 13 1. Settlements adjacent to site STIRLING • The legacy of the Designed Landscape can be seen in the mature woodland tree cover and estate 2. Dougalston Historic planting species. Additionally, certain built features remain such as the 18th Centruey Dovecot STRATHBLANE Gardens and built by John Glassford. Designed Landscape 1914 • Some areas of parkland character remain although for the most part landforming and new 3. Local urban centres MUGDOCK planting has altered the character to a golfing landscape.