Bishopton, Renfrewshire
Bishopton
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 Gledstane Road |
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 Bishopton
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| Bishopton shown within Renfrewshire | |
| OS grid reference | NS 43543 71226 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ERSKINE |
| Postcode district | PA7 |
| Dialling code | 01505 |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| Website | http://www.inbishopton.org.uk/ |
Bishopton (Scots: Bishoptoun or Beeshoptoun) (Scottish Gaelic: Baile an Easbaig) is a village in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is situated a few miles west of Erskine.
Bishopton was originally in the Parish of Erskine. It was two hamlets that combined to make the village of Bishopton in 1840. The hamlets were called Blackstown and Easter Rossland. The name Bishopton came from a nearby house known as Bishopton House. A famous family called the Brisbanes lived here. The house became a convent known as Good Shepherd Centre and latterly Cora Foundation.
A large explosive manufacturing factory was once sited in Bishopton. The Royal Ordnance Factory Bishopton (ROF), was opened during World War II on farm land, acquired by compulsory purchase order. It was situated on the western side of the railway line running through Bishopton. Over 2,000 acres (8 km²) of land from up to seven farms was used to build the factory. The land included Dargavel House. The southern end of the site included the majority of the land formerly used by the First World War National Filling Factory, Georgetown. The ROF was privatised in 1984, being sold to British Aerospace (now BAE Systems). It has since scaled down and shut most of the site.
After privatisation the MOD Police moved out and the former MOD Police Social Club at HolmPark, and its adjoining sports field, became part of Bishopton. The former MOD Police houses at both HolmPark and Rossland Crescent were sold off to private buyers. Bishopton's Medical Centre was built in a corner of the sports field, opposite the shops.
BAE Systems and Redrow have submitted controversial proposals to use a large part of the site for building new housing which would, at least, double the size of Bishopton. Local residents have indicated their concern at the proposals by voting in a local referendum, held on the 4 April 2005. It was organised by local action groups and council. The results showed that out of the 1485 who voted, (6.7%) were for the development, (91.6%) were against it, (1.3%) were not concerned and there were (0.3%) spoiled votes. The major concerns they have are with the size of the expansion - with the associated knock-on effects to the local infrastructure - and fears of the high levels of contamination that are likely to be found on the site. In December 2008 Renfrewshire Council granted outline planning consent for the development and detailed planning consent for a related motorway junction off the A8/M8. As of early 2016 a significant portion of the new construction is complete, with the remainder in varying levels of completion, with a number of the houses currently inhabited.
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