Former homes at IBM Greenock site: James and Sandy Easdale win approval

At a planning meeting held by Inverclyde Council this afternoon, council members voted to raise the existing ceiling from 270 dwellings to 450.

The brothers, former directors of Rangers football club, originally applied to allow 450 homes as part of a mixed-use development that will include retail, leisure and commercial units. In March 2022, city councils gave the program the green light, but with a reduction in the number of homes requested.

The Easdales noted that “following extensive dialogue with council officials and an independent report indicating that a 270-unit development would render the entire project unviable”, the council is “moving the ceiling towards 450 homes.” increase”.

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Sandy Easdale said: “The redevelopment of the former IBM Greenock site will be fundamental for Inverclyde and we are delighted that the City Council have decided to increase the number of homes permitted.

“The cut made the £250m plan financially unviable and we would have missed the opportunity to attract new families to the area and the economic and jobs boost that will result from the development.”

He added: “When IBM shut down, it not only caused an unemployment shock to the region, but also a visible ownership scar with little hope for recovery. Fortunately, there is now the potential to heal that wound by unlocking significant investment and in turn creating new long-term prosperity for the region.”

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James Easdale said: “Although we have lost a year since the original planning decision was made, the Council has engaged and listened to the evidence presented and has now, to its credit, come to the right decision.

“The independent report makes clear that it will take determination from us to get the project up and running, even at the 450 unit level, but we are fully committed to revitalizing the site for future generations.”

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He added: “Inverclyde is a great place to live and work and by creating quality housing we can attract more people to the area. We look forward to getting started in the coming months.”