Knock back for six home plan
Plans to build around six new homes in Gartmore have been rejected by the national park’s planning committee.
Owners had submitted an application to Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park planners to develop land at Park Avenue on the north eastern edge of the village.
However, at a meeting last week the authority’s planning committee members voted to refuse the bid, which had attracted 22 objections from villagers.
Among the issues raised by objectors was that the proposal could make existing parking problems even worse.
Stirling Council’s roads authority had also objected to the application, highlighting concerns over the limited scope to widen Park Avenue at its junction with Main Street and the increased risk of vehicles going onto Park
Avenue being met with a vehicle approaching.
A further objection from Gartmore Community Council said the development would impinge on the landscape and visual amenity of the area, did not address road safety issues or issues pertaining to legal rights of access, provided no on-site affordable housing, and would lead to loss of privacy, sunlight and overshadowing of existing properties on Park Avenue.
Community councillors also challenged the legitimacy of the site’s inclusion in the Local Development Plan. The National Park had originally rejected the site’s inclusion for housing in the Local Development Plan due to its constrained access, but the Scottish Government planning reporter reversed the decision.
Agents for the applicants had said the site was already allocated for housing in the LDP and that the Park Avenue/Main Street junction was suitable, particularly given there had been a recent speed limit reduction in the village to 20mph.
In a submission they added: “The intention is to develop the site with six homes served by a new single access from Park Avenue that will connect with a new road to the rear of the new homes. This approach has been preferred to including separate driveways on to Park Avenue, which narrows as it passes the site. Each home will have a rear driveway serving a garage whilst other visitor parking is also provided.
“In terms of affordable housing, there is a requirement that 33 per cent, a third of the homes, should be affordable. It is unlikely that an registered social landlord will want just two homes.”
Transport consultants for the applicant had also said traffic generation from the development would be minimal and would have no impact on the safety at either Park Avenue or Main Street.
In their recommendation for refusal of Ms Brisbane’s application to last week’s planning commmittee, park planners said: “Notwithstanding that this proposal is a site allocated for housing in the LDP, which has statutory status, this does not mean that development is justified ‘in principle’, as other technical and policy considerations require to be satisfied through the planning application process.
“No definitive proposals have been submitted to meet the required 33 per cent provision of affordable housing for the development, furthermore, the indicative layout suggests a single type of housing design and size and therefore does not comply with LDP policy requiring new housing to be of a range of types to meet the needs in the area.
“Gartmore is a historic estate planned village positioned within a dramatic setting and landscape surroundings and the village itself enjoys wide open outlooks from its boundaries. The development proposed would extend into the undeveloped fields of this sensitive northern edge of Gartmore.
“No proposals to overcome the road safety or public access issues, to satisfy the roads authority, have been presented by the applicant.”