House project is third time unlucky

Planning refusal for a replacement house has been upheld by Perth and Kinross Council’s local review body for a third time.

The decision was upheld by councillors despite the applicant being told over 20 years ago by a

PKC official that demolishing the existing house“will not disadvantage any development potential which the site may have”.

The trio of councillors on PKC’s local review body were asked to review the planning decision when they met virtually on Tuesday, May 25.

In 2000 PKC’s then head of development control recommended the demolition of White Cottage, Corsehill, Perth for safety reasons and because it was “unsightly.”

He told the owner of the site Mr Hutchison:“I am aware of the fact that you have been discussing potential development on the ground which you own at Corsiehill, and I would wish to point out that complete demolition of the building will not disadvantage any development potential which the site may have.”

Mr Hutchison demolished the house in the confidence this would “not disadvantage any development potential”of the site.

But in 2005 when he sought planning permission for a house at the rear of the site, it was refused.

A further planning application submitted for a house on this plot was refused in 2017 as was an appeal to the local review body.

His latest application to erect a house on the site was again refused by PKC in December 2020.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Cllr Willie Wilson said he remembered the discussions around the demolition of White Cottage on the Kinnoull Hill site back in 2000.

He said:“There’s a long history of planning issues here.

“There’s no doubt there was a house here. I can actually remember seeing it but it was in a situation of some decay 20 years ago before it came down.

“I think the main issue for us is that in terms of planning policy things have moved on in the last 20 years moved on fairly radically.

“This is now green belt so even if the house had been allowed to deteriorate to what we call in lowland Scots‘a rickle o’stanes’,the designation would still have been green belt.”

Cllr Wilson said his two issues were the principles of a development on a green belt and the suggested site being tight in 10 metres width.

He cited issues with car access and upheld the decision made by council officers.

Both Cllr David Illingworth and convener councillor Lewis Simpson were in agreement and refused to grant the appeal.