Councillors on yesterday's Planning Committee approved the application to develop the former site of Craigbank Primary School on the edge of Morgan Glen. 

The £6.5m development will comprise a mix of types, from one bedroom cottage flats to four-bedroom semi-detached properties, all of which will be built to sustainable guidelines, featuring photo voltaic (solar) panels. 

Work will further be carried out to create two new access points on Avon Road, as well as 70 residential parking spaces.

The plan was warmly welcomed by members of the committee, with Chair, Councillor Isobel Dorman, describing it as ‘great news for the town’. She added: “This proposal will allow the creation of a high-quality housing development and provide affordable accommodation for the social rented sector.

“It’s also significant in that it involves the reuse of an area of vacant land, at a central location in Larkhall, accessible by public transport, and with footpath links. The use of micro renewables in the build of the properties is also fantastic news for our commitment to a sustainable South Lanarkshire.”

The decision of the committee paves the way for work to begin on the project by February 2022 with the aim of having houses ready for tenants by March 2023.

Construction will be in tandem with a number of sites across South Lanarkshire as detailed in the recently approved Strategic Housing Investment Programme (SHIP) 2021-26. The SHIP will continue to deliver on the commitment to build new homes for rent as outlined in the Local Housing Strategy (LHS) 2017-22.

Councillor Josh Wilson, Chair of the Housing and Technical Resources Committee, has also welcomed this week’s decision. He added: “It is encouraging to see that along with our partners and with the support of funding from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme, we are continuing to make good progress in the essential business of improving the availability of high-quality social housing across South Lanarkshire.

“We are committed to delivering the highest possible standards in public housing, giving people quality homes to live in and helping them save money and protect the environment by investing in energy efficient, well insulated homes. This development delivers on all fronts.”