Rattray housing scheme on hold
Plan removed from PKC agenda
A planning application for more than 200 houses in Rattray was dramatically removed from the agenda of Perth and Kinross Council’s development management committee meeting last week.
The application by Larbert-based developer Springfield Properties was for a residential development of 217 homes at Glenalmond Road, a mixture of two, three and four-bedroomed houses, landscaping, open space and associated infrastructure.
Plans for the development were submitted to the local authority last November and were due to go before the council’s development
management committee on Wednesday, July 5.
Planning officers at PKC had recommended the development for approval but in a last minute decision the application was withdrawn from the meeting agenda.
A spokesperson for Springfield Properties confirmed that the company had withdrawn the application, commenting: “We needed a little more time to work with the council and consider the questions raised by Councillor Shiers.”
Councillor Caroline Shiers welcomed the move and said that there was a growing trend for planning applications in the area proposing far more properties on a site than was suitable.
She said: “I am pleased that there are to be further discussions regarding this proposal.
“I remain very concerned about elements of the application including density, access via Hatton Road and the already busy junction with poor lines of sight and proximity to the school, the potential impact on the Holiday Park and the parking on site. I have also raised issues regarding flooding in the area and will be seeking assurances that all of these issues can be addressed.
“Sadly, many of these issues can be transferred to the other sites being proposed for development. There is a trend developing where applicants are coming forward with applications for far more houses on sites than identified in the local development plan.
“I am in discussions with planning officers regarding these applications and the potential there is to address infrastructure constraints in the town.
“We are also seeing applications coming forward which, in my view, are not well designed to allow communities to grow - there is little open space or recreation areas in some of these proposals and this needs to be addressed.”
Local councillor for Blairgowrie and the Glens, Tom McEwan, added: “My understanding is that the developer withdrew the plans for Glenalmond Road from the development management committee and this signals to me that the developer is looking to engage further with the community to ensure that the plans are fully understood and meet locals expectations and needs.
“I think it is important that developers trying to meet the demands of the local development plan engage with the community early, fully and at all stages of the planning process to ensure that the growth of Rattray and Blairgowrie is to the benefit of residents and the local community.”