At a time when Stirling Council should be building back better and greener, they have approved plans that will lock the community into car dependency, further damage the high street, and are completely at odds with our aspirations for 20-minute neighbourhoods.
The £20 million Ramoyle Development proposal in Stirling’s Crookbridge, including offices, retail, drive-thru restaurant, car showroom and car parking, has been approved by Stirling Council despite objections from the local community and contrary to the recommendations of council officers.
The result will be damaging for both people and planet. But we can still stop it. Right now, the Minister for Planning in the Scottish Government is reconsidering the planner’s application. He can overturn Stirling Council’s decision.
Join us in writing to Tom Arthur, Minister for Planning, and ask him to listen to the community and reject this application.
Locking in car dependency
This proposed retail park is further away from the heart of Stirling than any other previous development. It threatens to lock the local community into car dependency from the get-go, with the entire site designed for car users.
At a time when we should be doing all we can to combat the climate crisis, developments that promote heavy car usage should not be getting the green light.
Further damaging the high street
This multi-million-pound development is likely to seriously impact Stirling’s local businesses and city centre. After surviving the challenges of the COVID pandemic, we should be doing all we can to restore the high street and support local producers, rather than diverting footfall to big business and out-of-town retail parks.
The city centre has already lost several large retailers throughout the pandemic, and Stirling Council could help the community build back greener, fairer, and better. Current vacant city centre units could provide the city with an important opportunity to transition towards a less car-dependent model of local retail. Instead, the proposed development is an unnecessary erosion of green space, whilst city centre units remain vacant.
Big business railroading twenty-minute neighbourhoods
The Scottish Greens are committed to the development of 20-minute neighbourhoods, where people can meet each other and more of their everyday needs locally. To reduce emissions, and build more sustainable communities, we should look to minimise travel.
Out-of-town retail centres promote the exact opposite, and run counter to the direction of Scottish Government policy. Communities like Stirling need to be at the heart of decisions about where they live. We cannot let big businesses and developers call the shots on how investments are made in our neighbourhoods.
We have a chance to stop this. Right now, the Minister for Planning in the Scottish Government is reconsidering the planner’s application. He can overturn Stirling Council’s decision.
Join us in writing to Tom Arthur, Minister for Planning, and ask him to listen to the community and reject this application.