Noble ideas
A society set up to remember a 17th century nobleman has revived its plea to have a battlefield west of Perth preserved.
The 1st Marquis of Montrose Society reckons the area where the Battle of Tippermuir was fought could even become a tourist attraction. Councillors will be put under pressure next week to accept a new local development plan which if adopted will allow prospective developers to build thousands more homes west of Perth.
The full council will meet to consider the proposed LDP2 again this coming Wednesday and members will be urged to approve the submission of the land use strategy document to Scottish Ministers for examination on the day or risk the “final adoption” of the plan slipping as much as 16 months.
Despite the council receiving nearly 750 representations during the most recent consultation on the revised plan raising all sorts of complaints about its current provisions
councillors will be warned any “notifiable modifications” they might want to make to it now could push the document’s ratification as far back as late 2020.
In a report recommending the council approve the proposed LDP2, which includes a revised allocation for the so-called “wider” Perth West site where developers want to build as many as 3738 new homes, the council’s strategy and policy manager Peter Marshall says any delay in submitting it to ministers could see its adoption delayed until October that year.
“It should be noted that in the event of notifiable modifications, the target date for the adoption of the LDP will slip from July 2019 to April 2020 at the earliest,” he writes.
“This revised date would only be achieved if the Directorate of Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) can deliver within its six month target.
“Indications are that there is a high risk this may not be possible if the council does not submit in September, due to the number of other plans being submitted for examination around the same time.
“This could lead to a further six month delay to final adoption in October 2020.”
His recommendation to approve the proposed plan including the “wider” Perth West allocation, which allows for between 2392 and 3738 homes instead of just 550 as well land for a medical centre, two “double-stream” primaries and a cemetery, comes despite the developers behind the contentious Almond Valley Village proposal claiming it will create an “oversupply of housing land in Greater Perth”.
The Pilkington Trust warned in a representation filed during the last consultation on the proposed LDP2 that such an overprovision could overwhelm existing infrastructure and went on to recommend restricting the Perth West allocation to just 550 houses.
“There are several large sites in and around Perth which are in the process of, and will therefore have commenced investment in, bringing forward first phases of development,” said Alastair Wood of Savills on the Pilkington Trust’s behalf.
“These include Almond Valley Village, adjacent to Perth West, and allocated for a 7001100 house neighbourhood with a new school, and Bertha Park, for 3000 houses and 25 [hectares] of employment land.
“Oudenarde at Bridge of Earn is allocated for 1300 houses, Scone North for 700, Luncarty South for 300, Broxden for 300, and Errol for 240.
“An overprovision of major strategic housing sites has the effect of potentially flooding the
Provost Melloy with Mr and Mrs Culliven market and driving down land prices to a level where land will no longer be released which will not benefit any parties - neither existing and future residents, developers or the council.”
The trust’s representaion concluded: “There is no need to add the extensive area of an extended Perth West to the housing designations in LDP for Greater Perth.
“The MU70 [Perth West] designation should remain as per the adopted LDP with a ‘long term’ designation over the extended area.
“This will allow an extended Perth West development to be brought forward ... only when it is needed for Greater Perth’s housing land supply.”