Robroyston residents say housing boom has left community facilities behind

Residents of a northern Glasgow suburb say they are worried about the pace of development in the area, as more than 1,600 new homes are being built without the community facilities that were promised.

Glasgow City Council approved plans for Robroyston that included a hotel, retail space and healthcare services.

But locals argue that while housing construction has moved forward, amenities such as sports pitches, leisure spaces and a new school have yet to appear.

Robroyston, just north of Glasgow and home to more than 6,500 people, has seen major growth in the past two decades, including the opening of a new railway station. Its location close to the M80 has made it a popular area for commuters and shoppers.

But some residents say expansion has gone too far, too quickly.

Chloe Porter, who lives in Robroyston, told STV News: “It has the potential to be an excellent place to live. The people are wonderful and there is the potential for a great sense of community, but the facilities are severely lacking.”

Initial plans featured a school, hotel, and sports facilities, but by the time they were approved, references to a new school had been removed. Future planning applications still include a school, something residents say has only added to the confusion.

More than ten years after the first proposals, many say the promised amenities have still not been delivered.

Alana Muir from Robroyston Community Council said: “We need answers, we need to know what is happening, and we were promised, in artists’ impressions, that we were getting a sports centre and all these lovely amenities.

“It was going to be a brilliant community, but we haven’t got all those things that were promised. All we’ve got are houses.”

Education has also become a pressing issue. Robroyston has just one primary school, Wallacewell, which is already at or near capacity in some age groups. Parents have written to the council asking for catchment areas to be revised for nearby secondary schools.

Chloe added: “I’m a mortgage advisor and I’ve recently had clients who have moved into the Robroyston area and they couldn’t get their children into the catchment school.

“They went to a second school and couldn’t get a place. They went to a third school and then eventually to a fourth school, which is two miles away, and that’s where their children now go to school.”

Glasgow City Council said it continues to draw down developer contributions from housebuilders in the Robroyston Community Growth Area. Around £3m remains available, following earlier investment in the new railway station.

In a statement, the council said: “The funds will absolutely be spent on local amenities – the current balance is around £3m, after the substantial allocation given earlier this decade for the construction of the new railway station there.

“At this point, we cannot confirm which of the amenities identified in the legal agreement will be delivered.”