Councillor inappeal toopen townroad

StrathallancouncillorTom Gray has recommended planners insist a road in Auchterarder he said is currently only used by construction traffic be opened to all traffic to ease congestion elsewhere in the town.

The SNP councillor said Stewart Milne should be made to open the road linking Hunter Street with The Feus through its Kirktondevelopmenttoall road users as the council’s planning committee considered a report signalling the company is about to lodge another majorapplicationrelating to the site. The preapplication report revealed little about what Stewart Milne is planning otherthanexplainingthat theimpendingapplication willbe“departing”fromits previousdetailedplanning consent for 261 houses.

It said: “The site area extends to 4.7 hectares and is identified in the current adopted Local Development Plan (LDP) as part of a wider housing site. The site formed part of [a] detailed planning consent which was issued in January 2014.

“The site is situated to the north of The Feus and totheeastofHunterStreet with open farmland currently extending further north and east.

“Some initial phases of the wider planning consent have been developed out under the original detailed planningconsentforming part of the wider site.”

Responding to a call for members to raise any issues to be addressed in any forthcoming applicationcouncillorGray said Stewart Milne should notbeallowedtocontinue to restrict traffic using the new link road. He added: “Congestion in Hunter Streetisverybad. Theidea this new road should not beopentothepublicisnot acceptable.”

The council’s development quality manager Nick Brian told councillor Gray his team would take up the issue with Stewart Milne when it lodges a detailed planning application.

CouncillorWillieWilson also recommended StewartMilnebereminded ofitsresponsibiltytoclean up roads used by construction traffic when the next application is submitted.