In 1967 private house builder Wimpey Homes had their plans scuppered when planning permission was refused to build homes at Larkfield, Wheatlands and at Flemington.
In July that year, they accused the Country Council of not zoning enough land for private homes, instead only focusing on land for their own public housing. A response from the council suggested they were actively busy in building homes in Blantyre and that there was not currently the need for private intervention, but they would revisit this requirement again in 3 or 4 years. This left Wimpey in limbo at the end of the 1960’s and seeking to find another prospective site.
They did of course eventually find that suitable site at Priory Bridge a few years later. If anybody has photos of the Wimpey homes being built, I’d love to see them!
