Holiday cabins are rejected
Plans for two holiday lodges at Clachan have been thrown out by council chiefs.
A report by a planning officer from Argyll and Bute Council cited changes to the landscape and access concerns as reasons for turning down the application for land west of Stratholm.
Four objections to the proposals by Lee Wheeler, represented by Robinson Lloyd Architecture, were also received by the council.
In a handling report, planning officer Norman Shewan said that access to the site was via a single-width private access track, which also serves the village hall as its sole access point.
Mr Shewan said: ‘The application form certifies that the access track, and the adjacent land shown for two passing spaces is owned by the applicant.
‘The representation submitted by Clachan Village Hall states that the track is not owned by the applicant and that the land on either side of the track, on the section where the passing spaces are proposed, is owned by the village hall.
‘It should be noted that this has not been raised with the applicant and the applicant’s agent maintains that the passing spaces can be provided as proposed.
‘Notwithstanding ownership issues, the consultation response from the council’s area roads engineer recommends that the application be refused on highways grounds, partly on the basis that the proposed passing spaces do not overcome previous objections with regard to the capacity of this private access track.
‘Prior to withdrawing the previous application for four holiday let cabins, the applicant was advised that access constraints may be addressed by commensurate access improvement works, including at least two passing spaces. The applicant submitted a revised application site showing two spaces on the drawings without further prior dialogue with the council with regard to the positioning of these spaces.’
A planning and access statement said: ‘The proposal is for two holiday lodges in the form of timber-clad single storey buildings.
‘Each cabin will have three bedrooms, an open plan kitchen/lounge/dining space, a small boot/drying room and a WC and shower.
‘Off-road parking is provided for up to four vehicles, however, it is estimated that only two or three vehicles will be on site at any one time.
‘The proposal requires vehicles to reverse onto the track as a means of turning around.
‘Although this is not ideal it is felt to be acceptable as the track is rarely used and does not form any part of a through route as the track is now blocked up at the entrance to Stratholm as they have formed a new access to the east of their property to access the A83.
‘The cabins will be let to people visiting the area on holiday and will remain open all year round.
‘It is expected that the site will achieve 80 per cent average occupancy, bring visitors to the area and employ local people for change overs and maintenance.’
But Mr Shewan also said that the proposed layout for the site would be more in keeping with an urban landscape instead of a rural one.
He said: ‘My on-site assessment at various seasons within the year satisfy me that the proposed development will be prominent in views through the trees from the adjacent A83.
‘As such I do not agree with the design statement that the projecting element will result in the buildings being ‘almost invisible’.
‘Rather, the built elements, extending at high level over the area of the site vulnerable to flooding, further demonstrates that the area of the site outside of the flood plain does not have capacity to accommodate this scale of development without creation of an extensive artificial platform, and projecting elements of the building beyond it.’