Falkirk Council: £1.5m Dennyloanhead land sale goes ahead and 550 new homes to follow

The narrow strip of land in Dennyloanhead is part of a former railway line and is not big enough to be developed on its own.

However, it is a vital gateway to a wider development for house builders Mactaggart and Mickel, who have also been negotiating with other landowners in the area.

Members of Falkirk Council’s executive agreed on Tuesday that the sale of the three acres owned by the council can now go ahead.

These will now form part of a large, 62-acre site that will see 550 new homes being built, including 82 affordable homes.

Mactaggart and Mickel have already announced that they have agreed a contract with Persimmon homes to deliver the housing.

The sale of the council-owned land was agreed for £1.55 million, a price that was negotiated with the support of the District Valuer, who confirmed the sale represented best value for the council.

Falkirk Council’s spokesperson for economic development, Councillor Paul Garner, said: “This disposal of the land at Dennyloanhead has been a long, long time in the process.

“Contributions from the development will include approximately £463,000 towards improvements to Junction 7 of the M80, education and open spaces.

“The proposed land transaction will not only generate a substantial capital receipt for the council to support the General Services Capital Programme it will enable the wider development and therefore local growth.”

Mactaggart and Mickel has already concluded negotiations with Persimmon to build the homes.

The land was declared surplus to operational requirements at Council Executive committee in August 2016 which also authorised its disposal bynegotiation with Mactaggart & Mickel.

The land runs behind private housing parallel to Glasgow Road (A803), Dennyloanhead, and meets the main road close to The Railway Inn.

Councillor James Kerr welcomed the progress being made on a long-awaited development but asked what stage the expected improvements at Junction 7 were “because this has been going on for years and years and years”.

Head of Invest Falkirk, Paul Kettrick, confirmed that they have an outline design and now need to confirm funding is in place as costs have risen in recent years.

He told that meeting that the council is currently discussing with the Scottish Government whether money promised in 2018 to support new affordable housing infrastructure would still be available as it had originally been time-limited.

Developer contributions are also being discussed to ensure “they are appropriate and at the level we need for the revised costs of the junction”, Mr Kettrick told the meeting.

Other development contributions that will arise will be dealt with as part of the planning process.