THE final draft of South Lanarkshire's Local Plan went out to public consultation this month with Carluke and Law seeing the majority of the proposed changes.
As previously reported, the plan which will govern development across the region for the n
ext five to 10 years has now entered its final stages.
Residents are now being given a final few weeks to comment on the document, which is available at the library.
And, from the Clydesdale area, it appears Carluke and Law would see the biggest change if the local plan's proposals are accepted.
But the Gazette understands that many people who are interested in the developments proposed are having difficulty trying to decipher exactly what the proposals are and where.
One local man said: "It is impossible for anyone to take in all that information in just one evening in the library. It's very confusing."
Carluke was identified as a Community Growth Area in the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Structure Plan which means that land will be released from the greenbelt to satisfy demand for housing.
The structure plan recommended that Carluke needed 500 more houses to meet housing "shortfalls".
As previously reported, 200 houses are proposed off Stonedyke Road in the Moor Park area.
And a site off Mauldslie Road would have capacity for 60 new homes.
Both these areas have been described as Community Growth Areas.
There are also around 10 other sites which have been proposed to be developed as smaller-scale housing developments including south of Boghall Road, James Street, Station Road, Clyde Street and Mayfield Brickworks.
A further six sites in Carluke - Lanark Road / Shieldhill Road, Carluke High School, Carnwath Road, Airdrie Road, and Stanistone Road - already have planning permission.
There are also sites in Carluke which have been zoned for housing in the future.
The largest site, which has capacity for 240 houses, is bounded by Boghall Road, Goremire Road and Old Lanark Road. This site is referred to as Carluke (Community Growth Area South East).
With the growth in residential developments, the plan also proposes to improve local roads, walking and cycling networks.
There are also plans for contributions towards a new park and ride car park at Carluke Train Station and also for public transport to be linked to this facility.
In Law, small-scale developments have been proposed at Waterlands Road, Lawmuir Road, Blueknowes Road and at two sites on Lawhill Road, one of which has been fiercely contested by local residents.
The largest development in Law, however, is at the Law Hospital site, which has already been approved, with capacity for 700 houses.
Anyone wishing to comment on the proposals can view the plan at the library or through the planning pages of the council's website www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk.
Do you have concerns about the South Lanarkshire Local Plan? Call the Gazette on 01555 772226 or email DPunshon@JPress.co.uk.
A GROUP of Carluke residents have developed a website to guide people through the local plan process.
The Save Carluke group have completed a comprehensive and extensive guide to the local plan, including all references to Carluke, Law, and Braidwood.
It was the same group who produced a website following the publication of the Draft South Lanarkshire Local Plan. Now the site has been completely updated and can be found at www.scarl.co.uk/localplan.html.
A spokesperson for the group said that the aim of the website was to inform residents of exactly what was proposed in the plan and remind everyone that all the proposals were open to objection.
The site also provides a link to representations that have already been made to the plan.
These include strong objections to the proposed sale of Loch Park Stadium and the intention to build a supermarket on the site.
One resident says the plan is "preposterous" while another is angry that the open green space around his property could now be turned into a "major construction site".
The objectors are also concerned about a large increase in traffic and noise.
Another resident against details of the local plan is Bernard Lang.
Mr Lang is outraged that the council is priding itself on being the "saviours of the greenbelt when they are actually destroying it". The council announced that its plan would preserve the greenbelt, but he argues: ''The reality is that they are destroying major sections of it in our area.''
Despite the structure plan recommending 500 new houses for Carluke, Mr Lang argues that the plan suggests 950 houses for Carluke and nearly 850 for Law, including the new 600-home village at Law Hospital and developments that have already been given consent.
He said: "The census figures for 1991 and 2001 show that the population natural growth rate for South Lanarkshire was only 1.2 per cent yet, if all this extra housing is approved, that means 25 per cent growth in the local population which is unjustifiable.
''Carluke has been earmarked as a priority for housebuilding despite the fact that there is a lack of facilities and employment.
''One of the reasons Carluke is a priority is that it has park and ride facilities but only around 250 people commute by rail according to my survey in March; it's bonkers.''
Do you have any comments about the Finalised Local Plan? Email clgazette@jnscotland.co.uk.
