No decision on village boundary appeal

Councillors have deferred deciding whether or not to grant a planning appeal which would extend the boundary of a Perthshire village.

Perth and Kinross Council refused planning permission for two houses to be built just on the edge of Aberthuven in January 2021.

PKC’s local review body was asked to review the decision when it met last week (Tuesday, May 25).

Full planning permission was sought for two houses as an extension to an existing building group on land at Mennieburn Road, Aberuthven.

The appeal statement explained appellants Daniel Wilson and Dean Wilson live in rented accommodation but, with growing families, they have outgrown their current accommodation.

The appeal stated both had searched for a while for alternative local accommodation to no avail due to a limited housing supply and being priced out of the market.

A self-build seemed the only option to remain in the area close to family and their established local business.

The two houses were refused planning permission in January due to them being situated next to the settlement boundary for Aberuthven and not within it.

Planners ruled it would extend Aberuthven village“in a haphazard manner along a country road to the detriment of the visual amenity of the area and impacting on the rural landscape character of this edge of settlement location.”

The PKC report of handling said:“It does not involve rural business or diversification, is not justified under operational need and no evidence of a shortfall in housing land supply has been provided.

“Whilst there is a farm access between the site and the settlement boundary, the site is directly associated with the settlement and visually adjacent to the settlement and the purpose of the policy is to avoid development next to settlements with results in the ad hoc expansion of settlements into countryside locations such as is proposed here, otherwise there would be little point in having a settlement boundary.”

Cllr Willie Wilson called for a deferral for three reasons.

He said:“I would like to give more consideration to this application in the sense I think it would be worthwhile carrying out a site visit.”

Cllr Wilson requested more information as to whether there had been any debate as to this site being a possible housing site when the latest local development plan was drawn up.

The Liberal Democrat councillor also wanted more information about drainage.

Lib Dem councillor Lewis Simpson and Conservative councillor David Illingworth were in agreement.

A decision was deferred.