A bid to establish a new housing development near Bedlay Castle between Chryston and Moodiesburn has been rejected by councillors.

Moray Land Farming Partnership requested planning permission in principle for a site to the south of the 16th-century castle, proposing a total of 12 detached houses and six cottage flats.

However in their report to North Lanarkshire Council’s planning committee, officers recommended refusing the application on the grounds that it contravened green belt policy and also that the site was not zoned for housing, would be detrimental to road safety, would require the removal of woodland without public benefit and that insufficient evidence had been provided to show the development could be built without adverse impact on protected wildlife, specifically bats.

The council also received more than 80 objections to the proposals, including those from Scotland’s Garden Landscape Heritage, Gillian MacKay MSP and local Labour councillor John McLaren.

The committee agreed with the recommendation contained in the report and unanimously refused the application.