187 Stanley homes decision is on hold
Site visit agreed after safety concerns aired
Councillors this week went against officers’ advice and voted to defer a decision on a major development in Stanley after major concerns about road safety were raised by local residents.
The bulk of objections against the 187-home development just off Perth Road related to access but, unusually, the application for the junction was submitted separately from the development.
A council officer told a planning committee that, because there were less than six objections to the application for the junction, they could approve it without the committee despite the fact objections to the actual development were primarily relating to the junction.
Cllr Callum Purves said: “It’s disingenuous to say there are not objections.
“It’s confusing because there are two applications. People may have thought they were already objecting to the junction.”
Stanley and District Community Council chair Werner Rieche said the group supported the development but was worried about the access plans making it a T-junction at a blind corner.
He also pointed to an issue with the position of a new bus stop on the B9099 which might result in traffic overtaking at a blind corner.
They monitored traffic and counted 1000 cars using that stretch of road in the space of two and a half hours. With an average 1.3 cars per household, the community council calculates the development could add in excess of 200 cars.
Cllr Grant Laing said it was a case of “cart before the horse” by asking the committee to approve the development before the road.
He questioned whether the access to the site was really in the “optimum place” and claimed having only one access point to such a substantial development created the “longest cul de sac in Britain.”
Representatives from developers Muir Homes said they recognised the junction was “a sensitive issue” and put the application for it through separately expecting it to be dealt with first.
They assured the chamber an independent road safety audit had been carried out for the current proposed access and it showed no issues.
They said the road surface would be a different colour, a ghost lane for accessing the junction would be created, a signalised pedestrian crossing would be installed less than 100 metres north of the junction and, when asked, said they would be happy to support a speed reduction from 30 to 20mph.
After a lot of debate about road safety, the committee was audibly stunned when council officer Kristian Smith told councillors officers were “perfectly happy with arrangements in place” for the access and there were “not sufficient comments (objections) to bring it to committee.”
He added: “We could approve it under delegated powers.”
Cllr Ian James said he found that “a little disconcerting” and said he found the road layout “dangerous.”
Cllr Henry Anderson proposed a motion to defer a decision until the committee had all visited the site and the application for the access to the development was brought to committee along with the application for the housing. This was seconded by Cllr Drysdale and gained support from most of the committee. Cllr Willie Wilson said the case had been “badly handled”.
Cllr James said: “Stanley is a wonderful village and everyone in that village is supportive of everything that happens.
“They are still very supportive of the development so we should notice their concerns.
“You can have as many safety features as you want but it’s on the brow of a hill with two sharp corners either end.”
Cllr Anderson’s motion was carried by eight votes to three.
They are still very supportive of the development so we should notice their concerns