Eaglesham

Eaglesham is a distinctive historic village with a strong sense of place, centred on the Orry and characterised by its eighteenth-century planned layout, extensive heritage assets and attractive landscape setting. Located at the transition between rolling farmland and the upland moorland landscape, the village benefits from a range of local services and facilities, including a primary school, healthcare provision, community facilities, local shops, parks and greenspaces. Most residents live within walking distance of key services, supporting the principles of local living and contributing to Eaglesham’s role as an attractive and sustainable community.

The village’s unique heritage remains one of its defining characteristics. Developed as a planned village in the late eighteenth century and designated as the United Kingdom’s first Conservation Area in 1960, Eaglesham contains a significant concentration of listed buildings and historic townscape features which contribute to its distinctive identity. It has a thriving village centre, characterised by a high proportion of independent businesses, supporting local employment and community life, while the Orry, surrounding countryside and nearby Whitelee Windfarm) provide valuable opportunities for recreation, active travel and access to nature.

Eaglesham has a unique dual role within the Plan. While it remains a rural village with a distinctive historic character, landscape setting and strong local identity, it is also identified as a Growth Area and will accommodate a significant part of East Renfrewshire's planned housing growth. Unlike other Rural Settlements, Eaglesham has been identified as capable of supporting strategic growth due to its existing services, accessibility, infrastructure capacity and ability to accommodate coordinated expansion through Development Frameworks.

Future growth in Eaglesham will be centred on the delivery of the Eaglesham North Growth Area, providing a significant opportunity to create a high-quality mixed community with new homes, including affordable housing, alongside supporting infrastructure, active travel links and strategic scale green networks. Additional strategic allocations are identified at Holehouse Road and Waulkers Loan.

The infrastructure requirements and mitigation measures identified for Eaglesham have been informed by the cumulative impacts of the strategic allocations. Development will be phased and coordinated to ensure that education, healthcare, transport, active travel, community facilities, green infrastructure and other necessary improvements are delivered in a timely and coordinated manner.

The Plan recognises that Eaglesham's heritage, landscape setting and village identity are important assets. Strategic growth is therefore concentrated within a limited number of planned allocations where development can be comprehensively designed, supported by appropriate infrastructure and integrated through landscape frameworks and green infrastructure. Development should provide a range of housing options, including homes for families, older people and affordable housing. Growth should protect and enhance the Conservation Area, biodiversity, mature woodland and green infrastructure, while improving walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport connections, particularly better access to bus services.



Key Place Priorities for Eaglesham

The Strategic Allocations in Eaglesham will be delivered as part of a coordinated programme of growth, supported by the infrastructure, services and investment required to maintain the village's distinctive character, strengthen its role as a sustainable rural settlement and enhance quality of life for existing and future residents.


Housing and Growth

The strategy will:

  • Deliver the Eaglesham North (Strat1.6), Holehouse Road (Strat 1.7) and Waulkers Loan (Strat1.8) Strategic Allocations as high-quality, well-integrated neighbourhoods supported by green infrastructure and community facilities.
  • Provide a range of homes, including affordable housing, family housing and accommodation for older people.
  • Ensure new development respects and complements Eaglesham's historic character, village form and landscape setting.


Village Centre, Services and Community Facilities

The strategy will:

  • Strengthen the role and attractiveness of the Village Centre (PP4.12) as the focus for local services, community activity and day-to-day needs.
  • Support the continued vitality and resilience of independent businesses and local enterprises.
  • Deliver a community, wellbeing and enterprise hub (LP5.17) alongside opportunities for community growing.
  • Create a Village Green civic space (LP5.18) that provides a focal point for community activity and establishes an attractive northern gateway to Eaglesham.
  • Extend Eaglesham Cemetery to accommodate future needs (LP5.16).
  • Support the provision and enhancement of education, healthcare, community facilities and other services required to meet the needs of a growing population.


Movement and Connectivity

The strategy will:

  • Improve walking, wheeling and cycling connections within the village and to surrounding destinations.
  • Support improvements to public transport accessibility and connectivity, including enhanced bus services (SP8.14).
  • Deliver transport infrastructure and network improvements required to accommodate growth, including improvements to Belle Craig Roundabout (SP8.17).
  • Promote sustainable travel choices and improve access to local services, recreation opportunities and the wider countryside.


Environment, Heritage and Green Networks

The strategy will:

  • Protect and enhance the Eaglesham Conservation Area (SP5.2) and the wider historic environment.
  • Safeguard the village's distinctive landscape setting and rural character.
  • Protect, strengthen and expand biodiversity, woodland, nature networks and blue and green infrastructure.
  • Deliver the strategic green network c.34ha at Eaglesham North (SP2.18) and enhanced green networks at Holehouse Road and Waulkers Loan.
  • Support community food growing.
  • Support the repowering of Whitelee Windfarm (SP1.2).
  • Improve access to Whitelee Windfarm (SP2.7), the surrounding countryside and wider recreational networks.
  • Integrate climate resilience, nature recovery and high-quality green infrastructure throughout new development.

Eaglesham is a distinctive historic village with a strong sense of place, centred on the Orry and characterised by its eighteenth-century planned layout, extensive heritage assets and attractive landscape setting. Located at the transition between rolling farmland and the upland moorland landscape, the village benefits from a range of local services and facilities, including a primary school, healthcare provision, community facilities, local shops, parks and greenspaces. Most residents live within walking distance of key services, supporting the principles of local living and contributing to Eaglesham’s role as an attractive and sustainable community.

The village’s unique heritage remains one of its defining characteristics. Developed as a planned village in the late eighteenth century and designated as the United Kingdom’s first Conservation Area in 1960, Eaglesham contains a significant concentration of listed buildings and historic townscape features which contribute to its distinctive identity. It has a thriving village centre, characterised by a high proportion of independent businesses, supporting local employment and community life, while the Orry, surrounding countryside and nearby Whitelee Windfarm) provide valuable opportunities for recreation, active travel and access to nature.

Eaglesham has a unique dual role within the Plan. While it remains a rural village with a distinctive historic character, landscape setting and strong local identity, it is also identified as a Growth Area and will accommodate a significant part of East Renfrewshire's planned housing growth. Unlike other Rural Settlements, Eaglesham has been identified as capable of supporting strategic growth due to its existing services, accessibility, infrastructure capacity and ability to accommodate coordinated expansion through Development Frameworks.

Future growth in Eaglesham will be centred on the delivery of the Eaglesham North Growth Area, providing a significant opportunity to create a high-quality mixed community with new homes, including affordable housing, alongside supporting infrastructure, active travel links and strategic scale green networks. Additional strategic allocations are identified at Holehouse Road and Waulkers Loan.

The infrastructure requirements and mitigation measures identified for Eaglesham have been informed by the cumulative impacts of the strategic allocations. Development will be phased and coordinated to ensure that education, healthcare, transport, active travel, community facilities, green infrastructure and other necessary improvements are delivered in a timely and coordinated manner.

The Plan recognises that Eaglesham's heritage, landscape setting and village identity are important assets. Strategic growth is therefore concentrated within a limited number of planned allocations where development can be comprehensively designed, supported by appropriate infrastructure and integrated through landscape frameworks and green infrastructure. Development should provide a range of housing options, including homes for families, older people and affordable housing. Growth should protect and enhance the Conservation Area, biodiversity, mature woodland and green infrastructure, while improving walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport connections, particularly better access to bus services.



Key Place Priorities for Eaglesham

The Strategic Allocations in Eaglesham will be delivered as part of a coordinated programme of growth, supported by the infrastructure, services and investment required to maintain the village's distinctive character, strengthen its role as a sustainable rural settlement and enhance quality of life for existing and future residents.


Housing and Growth

The strategy will:

  • Deliver the Eaglesham North (Strat1.6), Holehouse Road (Strat 1.7) and Waulkers Loan (Strat1.8) Strategic Allocations as high-quality, well-integrated neighbourhoods supported by green infrastructure and community facilities.
  • Provide a range of homes, including affordable housing, family housing and accommodation for older people.
  • Ensure new development respects and complements Eaglesham's historic character, village form and landscape setting.


Village Centre, Services and Community Facilities

The strategy will:

  • Strengthen the role and attractiveness of the Village Centre (PP4.12) as the focus for local services, community activity and day-to-day needs.
  • Support the continued vitality and resilience of independent businesses and local enterprises.
  • Deliver a community, wellbeing and enterprise hub (LP5.17) alongside opportunities for community growing.
  • Create a Village Green civic space (LP5.18) that provides a focal point for community activity and establishes an attractive northern gateway to Eaglesham.
  • Extend Eaglesham Cemetery to accommodate future needs (LP5.16).
  • Support the provision and enhancement of education, healthcare, community facilities and other services required to meet the needs of a growing population.


Movement and Connectivity

The strategy will:

  • Improve walking, wheeling and cycling connections within the village and to surrounding destinations.
  • Support improvements to public transport accessibility and connectivity, including enhanced bus services (SP8.14).
  • Deliver transport infrastructure and network improvements required to accommodate growth, including improvements to Belle Craig Roundabout (SP8.17).
  • Promote sustainable travel choices and improve access to local services, recreation opportunities and the wider countryside.


Environment, Heritage and Green Networks

The strategy will:

  • Protect and enhance the Eaglesham Conservation Area (SP5.2) and the wider historic environment.
  • Safeguard the village's distinctive landscape setting and rural character.
  • Protect, strengthen and expand biodiversity, woodland, nature networks and blue and green infrastructure.
  • Deliver the strategic green network c.34ha at Eaglesham North (SP2.18) and enhanced green networks at Holehouse Road and Waulkers Loan.
  • Support community food growing.
  • Support the repowering of Whitelee Windfarm (SP1.2).
  • Improve access to Whitelee Windfarm (SP2.7), the surrounding countryside and wider recreational networks.
  • Integrate climate resilience, nature recovery and high-quality green infrastructure throughout new development.
Page last updated: 01 Oct 2026, 01:55 PM