Housing: LIVE Park explains (Part 3)
Can you explain the Loch Lomondside policy?
In our last blog posts on housing, we discussed some of the complex issues around Housing in the National Park. In this blog (3/3!) we’ll look at a specific housing policy for the Loch Lomondside Area as shown in the map above. Given some of the discussion so far on affordable housing, we will return to this topic soon aswell. (For full details of our housing proposals, you should read pages 57 – 67 of our Main Issues Report)
This is a policy that has been in place for many years which restricts new housing to be only for those who either need to (for family or work reasons), or currently live in the area. It was introduced before the National Park was created and was intended to protect the Loch Lomondside area from people coming along and building homes – in an ad hoc way given there are many willing to make the short commute to the neighbouring Glasgow area, as well as those wanting second and holiday homes in such a stunning area.
It has successfully helped to restrict new housing development within the Loch Lomondside communities to only the housing required for people who either live, work or who have some form of connection with the area.
We think that, whilst in theory it makes perfect sense, in practice we believe that it is no longer helping to address the housing issues in the Park. Some communities and landowners have told us that it is actually making these issues worse, as it acts as a deterrent to development. When we look at the planning applications we receive, it supports this view.
We think that it is now more appropriate to focus on delivering more affordable housing, using open market housing to help finance this (via the ‘commuted sums’ described in the 2nd blog), as well as requiring more smaller-sized homes are built within the Park.
We especially want to hear what people think about this. What do you think? Use the comments facility below to let us know your thoughts, or to make a formal response to the Main Issues Report.
We hope that helps to summarise some of the housing ideas that we want to get your feedback on. For full details of the Housing Policies proposed within the Main Issues Report.