Plans expected to be submitted in July
Plans for a long-discussed and controversial link road through Viewforth are to be considered this summer – and a nearby listed building put up for sale within weeks.
The proposed route between King’s Park and Burghmuir through the Stirling Council owned site has been a hot topic for several years.
Stirling Council roads service’s proposals aim to look at developing the new road joining Linden Avenue car park and the junction of Snowdon Place and St Ninians Road.
Connected to the plans is the future of Langgarth House on the site – originally used as council offices.
Green councillor Alasdair Tollemache asked for an update on the road and the listed building at a full meeting of the council last Thursday.
Environment and housing convener Jim Thomson said: “The planning application for the Viewforth link road is expected to be submitted in late July. In advance of this, officers will be engaging with the local communities and business forums in June and July.
“The Viewforth site, including Langgarth, will be marketed for sale from June. It is anticipated that the determination of the planning application will be concluded prior to offers being finalised on Langgarth.”
In October, 2015, it was thought the link road plans could be scrapped in a review of the Viewforth site masterplan after a previous offer for Langgarth House was withdrawn.
Green Party activists have consistently opposed plans for the link road arguing it would increase congestion and make the Viewforth site unnattractive for housing development.
In 2014, council planners advised that noise, traffic and impact on listed buildings were among potential issues which would have to be assessed if plans for the link road were to progress.
They said the site was also within a Conservation Area with both residential and business properties, and a number of mature trees and a pond could be affected, and therefore a number of documents would have to accompany any planning application.
These would include a noise impact assessment to consider the impact of noise from the proposed road on existing and proposed houses in the grounds of former Viewforth, businesses, and the care home and nursery at Wellgreen.
Other documents would look at: dust and air quality; a design statement to consider the impact on listed buildings such as Old Viewforth, Langgarth, Langgarth Lodge and the Kings Park Conservation Area; a tree survey; ecology such as great crested newts, badgers and bats; and drainage.
The planners also added at that time that a report for roads development control would also be needed to look at justification on traffic grounds for the link road. An existing appraisal would also need to be updated and a traffic modelling exercise completed in support of a planning application.
A detailed junction analysis is also needed for the proposed roads junction at St Ninians Road and Burghmuir Road.
At last Thursday’s meeting Councillor Tollemache said: “I don’t think it reflects well on Stirling Council that we have a listed building in our grounds that is not to be used. Will a decision come back to full council or not?”
Councillor Thomson added: “The road is part of the wider Local Transport Strategy therefore it is a road that is already committed. Having said that it will be open to consultation. I know there are issues out there in our communities with regards to the road, but I expect it will be brought to a full council meeting for consideration.”