Item 4 - Draft Minutes - Planning Committee 05 08 26
West Dunbartonshire Council · 9 September 2026
Back to Planning Committee — 9 September 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Official PLANNING COMMITTEE At a Meeting of the Planning Committee held in the Civic Space, Council Offices, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton G82 1QL on Wednesday, 5 August 2026 at 10.03 a.m. Present: Provost Karen Murray Conaghan, Councillors Kevin Crawford, Ian Dickson, Lawrence O’Neill, Lauren Oxley, Chris Pollock and Hazel Sorrell. Attending: Michael Mulgrew, Planning, Building Standards and Environmental Health Manager; James McColl, Development Management Team Clare Laurenson, Principal Officer – Development Planning and Place; Raymond Walsh, Network Management Co-ordinator; Graeme Forrester, Manager of Democratic and Registration Services (Legal Officer) and Nicola Moorcroft, Committee Officer. Apologies: Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Councillors Gurpreet Singh Johal and Sophie Traynor. Councillor Lawrence O’Neill in the Chair DECLARATION OF INTERESTS It was noted that there were no declarations of interest in any of the items of business on the agenda. OPEN FORUM The Committee noted that no open forum questions had been submitted by members of the public. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The Minutes of Meeting of the Planning Committee held on 3 June 2026 were submitted and approved as a correct record subject to correction of a typographical error at Appendix 1. ITEM 4
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Official PLANNING APPLICATION A report was submitted by the Planning, Building Standards and Environmental Health Manager, in respect of the following Planning application:- DC26/049/FUL: Construction of a new 3G synthetic pitch including drainage, floodlighting and fencing at Football Park, Lilac Avenue, Clydebank by West Dunbartonshire Council. Reference was made to a site visit which had been undertaken in respect of the above application. The Development Management Team Leader, the Planning, Building Standards and Environmental Health Manager, and the Network Management Co-ordinator were heard in further explanation, and in answer to Members’ questions. Councillor O’Neill invited Ms Amy McCourt (objector), to address the Committee. Ms McCourt was heard in respect of the application. Councillor O’Neill invited Ms Anna Kielbinska (objector), to address the Committee. Ms Kielbinska was heard in respect of the application. Councillor O’Neill, Chair, invited Mr Ian Bain (WDC Greenspace Manager), on behalf of the applicant, to address the Committee. Mr Bain was heard in respect of the application and in answer to Members’ questions. After discussion, Provost Murray Conaghan, seconded by Councillor Pollock, moved that the Committee refuse the planning application citing concerns that the proposed laying of the synthetic 3G pitch contained within this application would have a negative effect in respect of NPF4 Policies 1, 2 and 3. As an amendment Councillor O’Neill, seconded by Councillor Sorrell, moved that the Committee agree to grant planning permission subject to the conditions set out in Section 9 of the report. ADJOURNMENT The Chair adjourned the meeting for a short recess. The meeting reconvened at 11.26p.m. with all those listed in the sederunt present. After discussion and having heard the Legal Officer in explanation, of Standing Order 23 that ‘a motion or amendment once moved and seconded cannot be altered or withdrawn unless with the consent of the proposer and seconder and the majority of
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Official those present’, Councillor O’Neill, with the support of Councillor Sorrell and the majority of those present, withdrew his amendment to the motion. As a further amendment, Councillor Oxley, seconded by Councillor Dickson, moved that the Committee agree to continue this item to allow for the applicant to provide further information regarding parking and transport matters, including details of current and proposed future use, and agreeing that if the information is not forthcoming that authority is delegated to the Planning, Building Standards and Environmental Health Manager, to provide notice of refusal of the planning application. On a vote being taken, 5 Members voted for the amendment and 2 for the motion, the amendment was accordingly declared carried. DEVELOPMENT PLAN SCHEME AND PARTICIPATION STATEMENT 2026 A report was submitted by the Planning, Building Standards and Environmental Health Manager, seeking approval of the 2026 Development Plan Scheme and Participation Statement in relation to a new West Dunbartonshire Local Development Plan (LDP3). The Principal Officer – Development Planning and Place was heard in further explanation of the report and in answer to members’ questions. After discussion and having heard the Planning, Building Standards and Environmental Health Manager and the Principal Officer - Development Planning and Place in further explanation of the report and in answer to Members’ questions, the Committee agreed to:- (1) include all elected members on the of list groups to be included in any engagement; and (2) approve the 2026 Development Plan Scheme (DPS) and Participation Statement, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report. Once approved, the DPS and Participation Statement will be submitted to Scottish Ministers and published on the Council’s website. BALLOCH AND HALDANE LOCAL PLACE PLAN A report was submitted by the Planning, Building Standards and Environmental Health Manager, seeking approval to validate and register the Balloch and Haldane Place Plan.
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Official The Principal Officer - Development Planning and Place was heard in further explanation of the report and in answer to member’s questions. After discussion the Committee agreed to approve the validation of the Balloch and Haldane Place Plan, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report. Once approved, the Balloch and Haldane Place Plan will be placed on the Register of Local Place Plans. PLANNING CHARGING CHARTER A report was submitted by the Planning, Building Standards and Environmental Health Manager, seeking approval of the 2026 Planning Charging Charter to reflect recent changes to planning fees as approved by Full Council as part of the budget setting for 2026/2027. The Planning, Building Standards and Environmental Health Manager was heard in further explanation of the report. After discussion the Committee agreed to approve the 2026 Planning Charging Charter to be published on the Council’s website. The meeting closed at 12.13 p.m.