Kirkintilloch Business Gateway Masterplan 2 Kirkintilloch Business Gateway Masterplan

Introduction Kirkintilloch Business Gateway has: • A total site size of 26.5 acres (10.72 hectares) The Kirkintilloch Business Gateway is a key business site for East , • Existing consents for business uses on 7.12 acres (2.92 hectares) of this land with the potential to generate more jobs for local people. This Masterplan sets out • Greenspace provision already planted and provided freeing the remaining site for the benefits to investors of working with the Council to develop the site and the type higher density development. of development that would be most appropriate.

It provides an overview of Council’s aspirations for the site including the preferred mix of future land uses and how they relate to the surrounding area. This document will provide a context for long term change and guidance to accompany the Council’s adopted Local Plan 2.

This masterplan therefore sets out: • The sites strategic location close to the M80, access to a skilled workforce and high quality of life • The vision for the site and requirement to develop it for Class 4 and 5 business accommodation, as well as Class 6 warehousing/distribution • The opportunities for developers and the incentives the Council can offer. 3

Kirkintilloch Business Gateway - Site Benefits for Investors A site that is well connected

The site lies immediately on the Kirkintilloch Link Road, now known as Initiative Road, occupying a strategically important location with direct connection to the main motorway network via the M80. The Reporter for Local Plan 2 made it clear that Initiative Road improves the area’s accessibility, visibility and marketability for economic development.

The site is therefore strategically crucial to East Dunbartonshire’s ambition to generate more jobs for local people, due to its position, and its potential to be developed as a high quality business site.

As well as physical connection East Dunbartonshire’s broadband connectivity is the third highest in and we will work with providers to ensure that the connections from the site are both superfast and resilient. 4 Kirkintilloch Business Gateway Masterplan

A Workforce in Waiting

East Dunbartonshire is an area with many assets, not least the attainment levels in our schools and a highly qualified workforce:

• 18.3% of young people locally leave school with 5+ qualifications at SCQF Level 6 (Highers) against a Scottish rate of 12.2 In addition 5.4% of leavers have 3+ qualifications at SCQF Level 7 compared with a Scottish average of 2.3%. This is the highest rate of any Local Authority in Scotland

• East Dunbartonshire has the second highest rate of young people entering Higher Education in Scotland (54.3%), and a rate that is significantly better than the Scottish average of 35.6%. Overall positive destinations, for school leavers, locally are running at 93.9%, which places the area fifth in terms of positive destinations in Scotland

• In the broader workforce the Office for National Statistics reports that 52.1% of people aged 16-64 in East Dunbartonshire have a qualification at NVQ 4 and above (HND, Degree and Higher Degree level qualifications or equivalent) against a Scottish average of 39.4% and a Great Britain figure of 35.2%

• More than half (56.3%) of those in jobs were employed in the following categories: Managers, Directors and Senior Officials, Professional Occupations and Associate Professional and Technical

• The site is adjacent to Woodilee Village with 900 homes being built to accommodate a range of family sizes and aspirations. 5

A Thriving Business Environment

East Dunbartonshire has a thriving economy with a full range of local and national businesses located in the area:

• In 2013 there were 2,980 registered businesses in the area. Given that the Office for National Statistics estimates that this is likely to be less than half of the total number it might reasonably be estimated that there are around 6000 business operating in the area • East Dunbartonshire Council are presently working with 46 high growth companies to support their development, while Scottish enterprise are managing a further 14 such firms • The area has an economic activity rate of 80.4%, ahead of the both the Scottish and GB rates • There are 22,800 people working within the area in addition to a further 27,900 who presently work outwith the area.

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A Place to Enjoy

The area has significant leisure, natural and built environment assets, which make it an attractive place to live and work, including:

• The West Highland Way • John Muir Trail • Forth and Clyde Canal • Golf clubs & outdoor centres • the Antonine Wall World Heritage Site • Leisure centres, libraries, museums and art galleries.

The proximity of both Glasgow and Edinburgh also means that the significant cultural and heritage assets in these two major cities are right on the doorstep of those living in the area. 7

The Site and Planning Opportunity

The site is zoned as a flagship location in Local Plan 2 for a range of uses under policy UC1B, HMU1 28 and Econ 2 28.

Local Plan 2 states: A mixed use, redevelopment masterplan is to be prepared by landowners for the area bounded to the west by Kirkintilloch Link Road, to the Class 4 north by the existing residential area around Loch Road and to the south and east Class 5/6 Greenspace by Woodilee Road. The masterplan should incorporate predominately economic Class 5/6 development uses and may also include, where appropriate, non-food retail, residential and hotel/leisure uses. Class 4 Class 4 East Dunbartonshire Council commissioned a study, from Ryden, of the business environment and business sites across the Council. The report from Ryden confirmed that “There is not a pipeline of new workspace being promoted/ developed. There Housing is therefore a shortage of modern small/ light industrial workshop sized premises.” The report goes on to say that: “There is a need to ensure an adequate supply of small business space is available to satisfy the needs of business start-ups, Class 4 expanding indigenous firms and mobile inward investors.”

This Masterplan sets a vision for the Kirkintilloch Business Gateway which is to create a thriving business location with a range of high quality, flexible business units. Reflecting the location of the site, the main focus will be Class 4 and 5 business accommodation, as well as Class 6 warehousing/distribution, with the aim of providing existing local businesses room to grow and at the same time be able to offer facilities to potential inward investors, which match the attractiveness of the area as a place to live. Such business accommodation should integrate with the adjacent housing developments.

Design requirements for the site which developers should have regard to are set out in Local Plan 2 Policies DQ2, ECON 2 and TRANS 1 and 2.

Details of these Policies can be accessed at www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/content/planning_ building_standards/planning/planning_ policies/adopted_local_plan_2.aspx

Figure 1 - Existing Unit at Gateway Site 8 Kirkintilloch Business Gateway Masterplan

Kirkintilloch Business Gateway Strategy Map

The following map sets out the masterplan for the site and includes information on current consents, vacant plots, land owners and planning requirements.

Green space provision: Extensive planting in this area of the site removes the requirement to provide green space elsewhere on the site and allows for higher densities. This semi- wooded area acts as a landscape screen and wildlife habitat and corridor.

Owner 1: East Dunbartonshire Council Owners 2a & 2b: Philip C Smith Commercials/National Grid/ Consent: Allocated for Class 4 Business use Tame Construction and Paulamar Size: 1.9 acres (0.77 hectares) Consent: N/A Land: Vacant greenfield land. Suitable for Size: 15 acres ( 6.18 ha) Class 4. Land: Vacant land identified under LP 2 as suited for Class 4 ,Class 5 and 6 use. 2a 3 Owner 3: Woodilee Industrial Site Consent: 2b Size: 8 acres (3.3ha) 4 Land: Presently operating as an industrial estate with Class 5/6 uses. This is proposed to continue. 1 Owner 6: Deafblind Scotland Owner 4: Cala Consent: Deafblind Scotland (TP/ED/11/0876) Consent: Cala Homes for Class 4 5 (TP/ED/11/0963) Business use. Size: 3.34acres (1.35 hectares) Size: 2 acres (1 hectare) Land: Consent yet to be implemented. Land: Vacant land currently being marketed by Cala. For more information see: TP/ED/11/0963

6 Complete site Owner 5: Taylor Wimpey Size: 26.5 acres (10.72 hectares) Consent: Taylor Wimpey (TP/ED/13/0514) Phasing: Development has begun on parts of the site and therefore Size: 4.91 acres (1.99 hectares) all areas of the site are available to come forward for development. Land: Construction underway on 38 houses. Integrated approach to access transportation and infrastructure. This fulfils policy HMU1 28 and the allocation Details of opportunities can be found on page 10. for housing within the Masterplan area. Hotel and Leisure uses: A small area of the site could be used for hotel and leisure uses to complement the business focus of the site. 9

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2b 4 1

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Kirkintilloch Business Gateway – Opportunities for Business Development

The Council is committed to delivering the Kirkintilloch Business Gateway as a flagship business location. There are a range of measures which the Council could consider to facilitate the delivery of appropriate development on the site in line with this masterplan, should landowners identify them as necessary for the site to be effective. These include:

Joint Venture Company with landowners to develop and promote the site – This could be designed to reduce risks for the landowners and also to deliver the type of development which the Council is seeking on this important site.

The Council could use its prudential borrowing powers in order to contribute to remediation of land, site preparation and infrastructure – The Council could bring resource to support that work in order to make the site ready for development.

Support for Planning consents - The Council could look to support appropriate consents through the planning process.

Business rates holidays – The Scottish Government are committed to giving Councils the power to offer a holiday on business rates within the next year. Grants and Loans for both indigenous and incoming businesses – A bespoke The Council could develop a scheme to allow this for the Gateway site. package of support for small to medium enterprises looking to locate within the Gateway site can be developed to offer to businesses which locate at the site. Broadband coverage – East Dunbartonshire already has good coverage for broadband, but the Council can work with businesses and telecomms providers Promotion of opportunities at the site – The Council can work in partnership with the landowners to promote the site to agents, and public and third sector bodies which Brian, to provide superfast upload and download connections to meet the needs of businesses looking to be based at Kirkintilloch Business Gateway. can market the site to their contacts. What does this mean (Design brief - built form?) Design Briefs – The Council can work with applicants to develop design briefs for the appropriate built form in different areas of the site. 11

Contacts Other formats

For further information on locating your business to Kirkintilloch Business Gateway This document can be provided in large print, Braille or on CD and can be please contact: translated into other community languages. Please contact the Council’s Communications Team at: Business and Tourism (Assistance in locating at Kirkintilloch Business Gateway and opportunities noted above) – Suzanne Bruce [email protected] East Dunbartonshire Council, 12 Strathkelvin Place, Southbank, 0141 578 8625 Kirkintilloch, Glasgow G66 1TJ Tel: 0300 123 4510

Strategic Development and Regeneration (Planning consent) – Jennifer Horn [email protected] 0141 578 8533

Other useful websites www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/business www.bgateway.com www.scottish-enterprise.com www.sdi.co.uk

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