A planning application has been submitted to change a horse exercise yard into a community allotment in Erskine.

The proposal, which includes associated landscaping works and the installation of gates, is for land to the south-west of 4 Park Mains Holdings, Barrhill Road.

The plans, which are currently awaiting decision, were received by the Renfrewshire Council on June 24 and validated yesterday (Wednesday, July 3).

The land is currently vacant and next to the Erskine Community Allotments who wish to incorporate it into their site in order to expand it.

In doing so, they wish to move the current boundary fence across the back of the vacant site.

If approved, a gap at the rear would be left to allow the neighbour access to maintain their hedge.

Erskine Community Allotments said the expansion would allow them to accommodate additional users.

The works would include vegetation clearance and the construction of 24 timber raised planters complete with associated gravel footpaths to accommodate wheelchair users.

In the application, Erskine Community Allotments said they were asked through the Growing Grounds Forum of Renfrewshire Council to take on this ground to reduce the number of people in the local area waiting for an allotment.

They also said they were aware of historical research that the ground contained contaminated materials which concluded that the only way to make best use of the space without disturbing the material was to install raised starter beds.

The existing Erskine Community allotments site and the site for expansion were approved for community asset transfer on January 24 this year.

The area of the current allotments measure 7177 square metres with the proposed expansion adding approximately 673 square metres.

The vacant site has been vacant since 2014 and was last used as a horse exercise area with road scalping and woodchip and was left to go wild by the previous leaseholder.