Building firm reveals plans for new homes on farmland

Plans have emerged for almost 150 new houses on the north-western edge of Arbroath. Scotia Homes has submitted the proposal of application (PAN) notice with Angus Council for land at Crudie Farm.

The site is open farmland, with Arbirlot Road West running along its eastern edge.

The application is in its earliest stages and the Aberdeenshire housebuilder plans to give the community the chance to have their say in June.

Planning agents MGA Architecture said: “With a public face-to-face event not currently practical and in line with the Town and Country Planning (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020, Scotia Homes will implement an alternative online platform for public engagement, to enable local community/ stakeholders to obtain details of the proposals, express their views and inform our future application proposals.”

The company is aiming to set up a live chat session for the public to raise questions about the proposal, hopefully in an event hosted in conjunction with Arbroath Community Council.

“The consultation will ‘go live’ on Scotia Homes website from June 3 in the run up to a planned principle virtual event on the afternoon and evening of June 10,” adds their PAN submission.

A quarter of the houses will be affordable homes.

Land at Crudie Farm was among the sites included in the 2016-2026 Angus development plan which identified opportunities for more than 4,000 new homes district-wide.

The development brief says: “The site capitalises on the renewal and extension of Muirfield Primary School and has good linkages to employment and retail facilities, as well as the school and transport links.

“Development proposals are expected to respect, maintain and enhance the character of the area.

“The site is currently in arable agricultural use, is generally flat and slopes gently towards the south.”

East Muirlands Road runs across the north of the site and it is bounded to the south by the housing at Hospitalfield.

Ellon-based Scotia is currently constructing 100 new homes in the site of the former Princess Alexandra House guide dog training centre on Forfar’s Dundee Road.

In January, the firm also lodged a PAN with Angus Council for 125 houses at Westfield Loan, Forfar.

The site sits beside land stretching north to Glamis Road on which rival developer Muir Homes hopes to build 175 houses.

The Arbroath proposal will come before Angus development standards councillors in due course.

Scotia Homes hopes to be able to build the houses on farmland on the western edge of Arbroath.