Ravenscraig Promise launched by Ravenscraig Community Action Group
Cross-party chorus renews calls to reject Russell Group planning appeal
A cross-party congress on the future of Ravenscraig is looking forward, not back – renewing calls for the rejection of a controversial planning appeal by Russell Group. The proposals were thrown out by North Lanarkshire Council in December 2022 and subject to a planning appeal to Scottish Ministers, despite commitments by Russell Group not to do so.
Plans, rejected by the council, would see the development of a giant industrial complex the size of eight regional sports centres, with 775m freight trains operating 24 hours a day and 800 heavy goods vehicles movements trundling through the heart of Motherwell, running past local schools, homes and community facilities from Ravenscraig to Airbles Road
The meeting was oragnised by Ravenscraig Community Action Group (RCAG), held at North Lanarkshire Council HQ and featured the area’s MP, MSPs and councillors from across the political spectrum. The meeting featured a briefing from North Lanarkshire Council place making and planning chiefs, heard from local families across Ravenscraig and discussed next steps for Ravenscraig.
The action group launched ‘The Ravenscraig Promise’ – a mini-manifesto for best practice place making, delivering the Ravenscraig Masterplan, realising the 1,000 new homes, schools and community facilities for the site, whilst attracting appropriate commercial and light industrial employment.
Politicians from across the political spectrum reconfirmed their commitment to oppose the Russell Group plans, to write to Scottish Government Planning Minister Joe Fitzpatrick MSP, and to take their campaign to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.
Ryan O’Donnell, Chair of the Ravenscraig Community Action Group, said:
“From every point on the political spectrum, the cross-party chorus of opposition to Russell Group’s plans that would scar the Motherwell skyline for generations is deafening. With the future of North Lanarkshire on the line, the cross-party congress on the future of Ravenscraig looked forward, not back.
“The Ravenscraig Promise offers a positive vision for the future, to delivering the promise to a generation of steelworkers, their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. It builds on two-decades of planned progress and investment and offers a framework for best practice place making and the delivery of new homes, schools and community facilities.
“Scottish Government Planning Minister Joe Fitzpatrick MSP must move quickly to signal the end of the line for Russell Group’s plans and the Ravenscraig Partnership should recognise that seeking to bulldoze unwanted development through local communities won’t wash any more. As one of Europe’s largest urban transformation programmes, Ravenscraig can and should be a model of sustainable, local living in North Lanarkshire and our community won’t rest until that is delivered.”
Scottish Labour’s Monica Lennon MSP, said:
“I commend the Ravenscraig Community Action Group for uniting local people and politicians around a positive vision for the area. I was pleased to sign The Ravenscraig Promise, and I hope all councillors and parliamentarians for Ravenscraig and the surrounding areas get behind the community too.
“The residents of Ravenscraig have invested their time, energy and money in the promise of a brighter future. The future of the area should be decided by those who live and work in the Ravenscraig community, and I believe strongly that their voices must be heard.
“North Lanarkshire Council was right to reject the Russell Group plan and Scottish Ministers must do the same now that the appeal is in their hands.”
Central Scotland Green MSP Gillian Mackay, who has written to Scotland’s new planning minister calling on Scottish Government to reject the appeal, added:
“This proposal has already been rejected by North Lanarkshire Council following significant pressure from local residents. It’s time for the new community Lanarkshire was promised with schools and local amenities, not massive industrial buildings and 800 dirty diesel HGV’s passing by a number of schools in the town 24 hours a day.”
Scottish Conservative, Meghan Gallacher MSP, said:
“I am absolutely delighted to continue my support for Ravenscraig Community Action Group and to add my signature to the Ravenscraig Promise.
“It is imperative that across the political spectrum we come together to ensure that families and the community are placed front and centre of any future development plans for Ravenscraig. We must continue to listen to their voices.”
Speaking previously, Motherwell and Wishaw SNP MSP Clare Adamson said:
“I am disappointed that the developers have lodged an appeal at the last possible moment – having committed not to do so when the matter came before council.
“I formally objected to this proposal back in April 2021 having listened to residents and met with the Ravenscraig Community Action Group, the developers, and local authority officials. I worked with my colleague, Marion Fellows MP, over concerns around the accessibility of the initial consultation process in 2020.
“The fundamental issues remain unchanged. This proposal is a complete departure from the Ravenscraig masterplan. The people who have made Ravenscraig their home bought into a vision of a regenerated residential community.
“This development would irreparably alter the character of that community and, on that basis, the local authority rightly rejected these plans. The appeal is a judicial process and it is now a matter for the Scottish Government’s reporter.
“But I trust the reporter will be cognisant of the overwhelming response from residents, the council’s definitive rejection and the detrimental and irreversible impact that this development would have on Ravenscraig. In practice, it would cease to be a community but instead become an industrial site.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Ravenscraig Community Action Group (RCAG) is a community group fostering families, community and sustainable place making at the heart of one of Europe’s largest urban transformation programmes.
THE RAVENSCRAIG PROMISE:
· Recognise the promise made to a generation of steel workers to build a cleaner, better, brighter and more sustainable future for their sons and daughters, grand sons and daughters, now great grandchildren and the families who will follow.
· Recognise the national significance of Ravenscraig as one of Europe’s largest and most ambitious urban transformation programmes.
· Recognise that nationally significant urban transformation programmes require appropriate investment from the United Kingdom Government and Scottish Government.
· Recognise the importance of delivering the Ravenscraig masterplan, with mixed-use development in line with National Planning Policy Framework 4 and the North Lanarkshire Local Development Plan; protecting land zoned for housing and community uses; encouraging community facilities, appropriate development of employment land whilst protecting safe routes to school and sustainable travel.
· Recognise the importance of new and affordable homes at Ravenscriag, built on land zoned for housing.
· Recognise and commit to supporting the development of a new Community Hub for Ravenscraig, Denominational and Non-Denominational Primary Schools within Ravenscraig.
· Recognise and commit to supporting low carbon, multi-modal transport for Ravenscraig.
· Support a Ravenscraig fit for Families, not Freightliners : Committing to oppose rail the development of Rail Freight Distribution at Ravenscraig and calling on Scottish Government to reject Russell Group’s appeal.
· Recognise the important role of public, private, third sector and community collaboration in the development of the Ravenscraig community and, where appropriate, community benefits from development opportunities.
· Recognise the importance of best practice place making, supporting meaningful community engagement, information exchange, consultation and multi-stakeholder participation in a quarterly liaison group.
· Recognise and support the development of North Lanarkshire SME’s within Ravenscraig.
RUSSELL GROUP APPLICATION:
- Speaking at North Lanarkshire Council’s December’s full council meeting, Russell Group committed not to appeal the decision to Scottish Ministers, stating:
“From a John G Russell perspective we’ve been through this process. We’ve invested a lot of time, and money, and we are looking for an outcome today from this process. We will not be going to appeal. It will be today or not and, if its not, our investment will go to Hillington and our current Coatbridge site.”
- The plans, opposed by Scottish Labour, Scottish National Party, Scottish Green and Scottish Conservative politicians, were the subject of circa 700 objections to North Lanarkshire Council in 2022. Council planners found that the proposal was wholly incompatible with the Ravenscraig Masterplan, Development Plan, Local Plan and National Planning Frameworks 3 & 4 and the application was rejected resoundingly by fifty-eight councillors from all parties.
- Speaking at December’s committee, RCAG said that North Lanarkshire deserves better and urged Russell Group to reflect, recognising that rail hubs have an important role to play in Scotland’s future, but they require sustainable sites in suitable locations.
- Russell Group, as North Lanarkshire’s planning report recognised, closes off a pipeline of investment and consigns Motherwell to trajectory where a heavy industrial mammoth the size of seven regional sports facilities, 36m high, operating 24 hours a day dominates our communities.
- 800m trains and over 800 Heavy Goods Vehicles movements a day in phase one alone, tearing through the heart of our communities, past our homes, schools, businesses and community facilities.
POLITICAL REACTION:
- North Lanarkshire Council Labour Provost Councillor Kenneth Duffy has written to local parliamentarians, who registered objections to the original application, demanding they make urgent representations with Scottish Government Ministers to throw out the appeal.
He said “the campaign against the initial application was spearheaded by Ravenscraig Community Action Group supported by a cross party collection of MSPs, MPs and councillors. This bipartisan approach was well received by residents who felt encouraged observing party politics cast aside for the good of the community.
“The plans for a new rail freight terminal in Ravenscraig were emphatically rejected by the local councillors last December.
“SNP/Green Ministers within the Scottish Government should respect local democracy. The campaign to reject the original application was supported by Green and SNP MSPs, I will be asking them to challenge their colleagues to see this appeal kicked out.”
- Motherwell and Wishaw SNP MSP Clare Adamson said: “I am disappointed that the developers have lodged an appeal at the last possible moment – having committed not to do so when the matter came before council.
“I formally objected to this proposal back in April 2021 having listened to residents and met with the Ravenscraig Community Action Group, the developers, and local authority officials. I worked with my colleague, Marion Fellows MP, over concerns around the accessibility of the initial consultation process in 2020.
“The fundamental issues remain unchanged. This proposal is a complete departure from the Ravenscraig masterplan. The people who have made Ravenscraig their home bought into a vision of a regenerated residential community.
“This development would irreparably alter the character of that community and, on that basis, the local authority rightly rejected these plans. The appeal is a judicial process and it is now a matter for the Scottish Government’s reporter.
“But I trust the reporter will be cognisant of the overwhelming response from residents, the council’s definitive rejection and the detrimental and irreversible impact that this development would have on Ravenscraig. In practice, it would cease to be a community but instead become an industrial site.
- Central Scotland Green MSP Gillian Mackay, who has written to Scotland’s new planning minister calling on Scottish Government to reject the appeal, added: “This proposal has already been rejected by North Lanarkshire Council following significant pressure from local residents. “It’s time for the new community Lanarkshire was promised with schools and local amenities, not massive industrial buildings and 800 dirty diesel HGV’s passing by a number of schools in the town 24 hours a day.”
- Scottish Conservative MSP, Meghan Gallacher, added: “This really isn’t on. In North Lanarkshire alone, roughly 40% of planning applications rejected by the Council have been overturned by the Scottish Government reporter. Ravenscraig and the Council said ‘NO’ to the proposed rail hub – the reporter must listen.”
