PKC refuse house plans after rally

Residents unite to fight proposal

Perth and Kinross officers have shot down plans for a house on the edge of a Kinross-shire village after the community rallied to oppose the development.

A&J Stephen had submitted blueprints to the local authority for a property on the edge of the Lomond Hills in Kinnesswood, but the council told them to think again on Friday, turning the application down.

Having amassed 70 public objections, PKC planners judged the bid for the house, near Bishop Terrace, was not in keeping with the local development plan or the council’s ‘housing in the countryside guide’.

As part of the application, Perthbased developer A&J Stephen had promised to donate the remainder of the field to public land should the construction have been given the green light.

However, this was not enough of an incentive for the community council to back the plans.

Dave Morris from Portmoak Community Council, explained a community right to buy is being looked at by the group in order to purchase the entire field.

He said: “All the objectors to the Stephens’ planning application received emails to say that the application had been refused on Friday afternoon.

“This is excellent news and will put us in a very good position over the next few years to take forward the proposals to secure all of Stephen’s’ field through a part five community body right to buy process.”

Had the 0.62 hectare house been built on the hillside, a core path would need to have been redeveloped in what is a route commonly used by walkers.

Speaking previously, an A&J Stephen spokesperson said: “We own approximately 16 acres of land, known locally as Stephen’s Field, which we have kept out of agricultural use for many years.

“This has enabled the community to enjoy the use of this land for informal recreational purposes.

“If consent was granted for our proposal, the ownership of the remainder of the land would be transferred to the CC at no cost along with a £9000 cash contribution.

“In our opinion, it seems a shame that the 20 or so attendees at the recent community council meeting have ignored the previously expressed will of the village residents and prevented the ownership being transferred to the community at no cost.

“This transfer of ownership would have secured the enjoyment of the hill land by the community in perpetuity.”

This is excellent news and will put us in a very good position