Broich Road land goes on the market

An extensive area of residential development land to the south of Crieff’s Broich Road is on the market for an undisclosed sum.

Edinburgh-based estate agents Rettie and Co are marketing the land, which has planning permission in principle for a mixed use development featuring residential land of around 50 acres and commercial land of approximately 15 acres.

The 90 acre site is advertised with the “potential for c.350 + residential units (including 25% affordable housing), employment land, open space and amenity landscaping.”

Offers are being invited on a phase by phase basis or for the entire site.

The site falls within the Local Development Plan and the plans for the proposed mixed use development were given the nod by councillors in principal in 2015, despite concerns by locals about its impact on Broich Road and Crieff town centre.

At that time, Alston Birnie, an agent for the landowners Robert Simpson and Sons, claimed families moving into the new scheme could end up spending up to £3 million in the town centre every year.

He also claimed six hectares of land reserved for employment uses at the site had the potential to support up to 380 new jobs in the area.

But Crieff Community Council secretary at the time, Jean Ann Scott Miller, told the committee local people believe there was a lack of demand for new housing. A development at Strathearn View had yet to be finished and Mrs Scott Miller also said she was sceptical about the figures being quoted by Mr Birnie about the number of jobs the site could support and the economic benefit the new housing would bring to Crieff town centre.

But she said her main concern with the proposed scheme was the additional traffic it would create on Broich Road and particularly on its junction with King Street and Burrell Street. She went as far as to suggest PKC impose a moratorium on new developments on Broich Road until improvements had been carried out.