Demolition opposition

Community councillors are to object to proposals to demolish a Callander house and replace it with 16 homes.

At Monday evening’s monthly meeting of Callander Community Council residents voiced their concerns over the proposed development at Manse Lane.

In turn, the community council’s planning panel recommended that it move to “strongly object” to the plans on the grounds that the application contains “poor or inadequate information” and that it would offer poor access on to the A81 from the street.

The Observer told earlier this month how several objections have already been lodged to the application by Seaforth Developments Ltd which hopes to develop the site at East Mains Nursery in Manse Lane.

As well as 12 detached homes, four semi-detached affordable houses are included in the proposals.

Residents living within close proximity to the application site, voiced their concerns on Monday.

One resident called for the application to either be refused or withdrawn, saying of the application process: “It looks a bit of a joke.

“It doesn’t meet any of the criteria. Why are the National Park entertaining this?”

It was also revealed that Stirling Council’s roads department are to conduct a survey of the street.

Community councillor Mike Luti advised those in attendance that the community council’s objection to the application would not mean that it would “be taken off the table” and noted that it will still have to go before the National Park’s planning committee.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency has lodged its objection to the plans on the grounds of flood risk.

Scottish Water has offered no objection to the application.

Stirling Council’s environmental health department had “no adverse comment” on the application.

The council’s education service says that the plans would not impact on the optimum capacity of Callander Primary and that there are currently no capacity issues at McLaren High.

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park planners are expected to make a recommendation on the application in due course.