Councillors to Decide Controversial Green Space Housing Plan East Kilbride 2026

Key Points

• Procedural Shift: South Lanarkshire Council’s Executive Committee will now formally decide on the proposal to allocate former football pitches and open green space at Westwood Hill in East Kilbride for affordable housing.
• Legal Challenge & Backlash: The decision was escalated to full councillor scrutiny after the Save Westwood Hill Green Space Action Group challenged the initial administrative progression of the land appropriation.
• Public Opposition: A formal statutory consultation yielded 453 responses, with all 453 opposing the development plans, alongside a community petition that gathered over 1,000 signatures.
• Development Scope: The proposed master plan involves constructing approximately 99 council homes on land situated between Adelaide Road and Lickprivick Road, incorporating play areas and revised drainage infrastructure.
• Administrative Defense: Council officials maintain that rigorous site investigations revealed no ground contamination, with engineering measures planned to mitigate local flood risks.

East Kilbride (Glasgow Express) September 15, 2026 — Plans to redevelop former football pitches and priority green space at Westwood Hill for a new council housing development will now be formally determined by elected members on the South Lanarkshire Council Executive Committee, following an intense campaign and legal challenge by local residents.

As reported by Paul Morrison of the East Kilbride News, the local authority originally announced in July that its Executive Director of Housing and Technical Resources had progressed the land appropriation process under Section 24(2A) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1959. However, following a sustained challenge regarding the legality and transparency of the original administrative decision by the Save Westwood Hill Green Space Action Group, municipal officials confirmed the matter has been referred directly to councillors for a final determination.

What Is the Proposal for the Westwood Hill Site?

The land under scrutiny, located along Westwood Hill between Adelaide Road and Lickprivick Road, comprises former playing fields and public open space long utilised by the local community. Under the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP), South Lanarkshire Council intends to appropriate the site to construct an affordable housing development featuring approximately 99 council homes, associated parking, new access roads, play areas, and enhanced urban drainage systems.

As noted by local reporting in the East Kilbride News, the formal appropriation notice was published between April and May, initiating a public consultation process regarding the change of land use from designated open space to residential development.

Why Are Local Campaigners Opposing the Housing Scheme?

The proposal has generated substantial friction within the Westwood community. According to reporting by Nicola Findlater of the East Kilbride Today publication, the initial public consultation drew 453 written submissions, every single one of which objected to the land appropriation. In addition, an online and paper petition organized by community members gathered over 1,000 signatures protesting the loss of the recreational area.

As stated by Iain Dow, chairperson of the Save Westwood Hill Green Space Action Group, in statements reported by East Kilbride Today, local residents felt deeply let down by the council’s initial movement on the project:

“Residents are shocked that the council has pushed ahead despite 453 objections. The community submitted clear, detailed and legitimate objections. None of these have been addressed in any meaningful way. It is difficult to see this as anything other than a procedural box-taking exercise. This is not the end of our fight.”

Objectors have consistently highlighted several core issues:

• Loss of Priority Green Space: The area provides essential recreational ground, active travel pathways, and outdoor space vital for physical and mental well-being in a built-up area.
• Environmental & Biodiversity Impact: Campaigners stress that the loss of mature green corridors harms local wildlife and contradicts local climate emergency commitments.
• Infrastructure Strain: Residents contend that local roads, drainage systems, schools, and medical practices cannot accommodate 99 additional households without severe disruption.
• Brownfield Alternatives: Community leaders argue that local authorities should adopt a “brownfield-first” policy, focusing housing delivery on vacant urban land or town centre regeneration zones rather than established community parks.

How Has South Lanarkshire Council Responded to Public Concerns?

South Lanarkshire Council officials maintain that the development addresses an acute, overarching requirement for social and affordable housing across East Kilbride and the broader local authority area.

As reported by East Kilbride Today, a spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Council detailed the technical evaluations conducted on the Westwood Hill site:

“Ground investigation works at the proposed development site at Westwoodhill did not identify any contamination or other issues that would prevent the site from being developed for safe use. The investigations also identified several engineering and mitigation measures that will be incorporated into the proposed design of the development, and the full findings of the site investigations will be included in the technical information submitted with the planning application and will be fully considered.”

Council representatives further explained that referring the land appropriation decision to the Executive Committee ensures total transparency, allowing elected representatives to consider the full summary of public responses alongside integrated impact assessments before taking any further steps. Officials emphasize that approving the land appropriation does not automatically grant planning permission; any housing scheme will still be subject to a separate, statutory planning application process with further public consultation windows.

Background of the Westwood Hill Green Space Dispute

The conflict over the Westwood Hill playing fields reflects a broader, ongoing tension in Scottish local government between meeting statutory social housing quotas and protecting municipal open spaces.

East Kilbride, designated as Scotland’s first New Town in 1947, was urbanistically planned with integrated green corridors and expansive neighbourhood parks intended to foster healthy living conditions. Over recent decades, as available brownfield sites have diminished and housing waiting lists have expanded, local authorities have increasingly evaluated municipal-owned open spaces and surplus school playing fields as potential development locations.

The Westwood Hill site was designated as priority green space under South Lanarkshire Council’s Local Development Plan. However, its inclusion in the council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan marked a formal shift toward repurposing the area for residential accommodation. When the council published its statutory Appropriation Notice in April 2026 under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1959, it triggered a legal requirement to gather and review public feedback.

Following the surge of 453 objections and the organization of the Save Westwood Hill Green Space Action Group, campaigners threatened legal action on procedural grounds, arguing that an administrative decision by officers failed to reflect the democratic accountability required for such a significant public asset. In response to this legal pushback and heightened public scrutiny, council leadership elected to halt administrative sign-off and refer the binding decision directly to the council’s Executive Committee.

Prediction: How Will This Development Affect Local Residents and Housing Applicants?

The impending decision by South Lanarkshire Council’s Executive Committee will have tangible long-term impacts on two distinct community groups: existing Westwood residents and local households on the social housing waiting list.

If elected councillors approve the land appropriation, it will pave the way for a formal planning submission in the near future. For the local Westwood community, this outcome would mean the permanent loss of an established green corridor and outdoor recreational space. Residents are likely to experience medium-term construction disruption, followed by increased traffic density on Westwood Hill, Adelaide Road, and Lickprivick Road. Furthermore, increased demand on local primary care services and schools could create operational pressures unless accompanied by significant infrastructure investment.

Conversely, for families and individuals currently on South Lanarkshire Council’s housing registers, approval of the scheme would unlock 99 high-quality, energy-efficient council homes in a well-connected suburban area. Amid an ongoing national housing shortage, the delivery of affordable units would offer relief to households experiencing housing instability or high private rental costs.

Should councillors vote to reject the appropriation or demand a reassessment, it would signal a major victory for local green space campaigners and establish a legal precedent within South Lanarkshire regarding community rights over public land. However, such a decision would require council officers to reallocate resources toward identifying alternative, potentially more complex brownfield sites, likely delaying the delivery of much-needed affordable housing across East Kilbride.