Councillors schedule site visit in bid to resolve plan blunder
COUNCILLORS are to hold a site visit in Connel to decide how to resolve a mistake by their own planning officers which left a house being built too close to another home.
Septuagenarian Ann Colthart’s extension, built 14 years ago, wasn’t included in the site plans and has resulted in a semi- detached house on St Oran’s Place being built nine metres away from her property, when guidelines state it must be at least 18.
Ms Colthart, who has lived there for 32 years, became aware of the problem as plots three and four of the development to expand the village progressed. She contacted the planners in May and work was halted as a solution was sought.
Argyll and Bute Council admitted falling short of its own standards, apologised for the situation and distress caused and said it was seeking a remedy acceptable to all parties.
A planning application, submitted by Macleod Construc- tion Ltd on July 22, proposed ‘alterations to rear fenestration, installation of new fenestration on gable elevation and erection of wall and hedging on NE boundary’.
But it gathered no letters of support and more than 40 public objections from a village of around 400 people, including from Connel Community Council.
Councillors on the Planning, Protective Services and Licensing Committee met in Lochgilphead council headquarters last Wedenesday to decide the fate of the new two-storey building, which development manager Ross McLaughlin said, had ‘significantly progressed’.
Mr McLaughlin admitted it was too close to Ms Colthart’s property, but added: ‘Given the difference of ground level and the angle of the building, officers are recommending approval as a departure from the local plan. Removal would be disproportionate to the impact. It will be challenging if not impossible to relocate these buildings within the plot size.’
The current plan is to relocate the top rear windows to the side gables and planting to provide screening. Both Ms Colthart and the developer had been granted planning permission, and complied with conditions, Mr McLaughlin said, and he explained the mistake was due to an inaccuracy in the maps.
‘The Ordnance Survey map did not depict the sunroom when the drawings were submitted,’ he said, and ‘the planning officers did not undertake a site visit’.
Councillor Neil MacIntyre asked: ‘How did we get near completion before we noticed this?’ Mr McLaughlin replied: ‘We rely on members of the public informing us of a breach and we investigate that. We are not on every site. We acted on the complaint and ceased work on the site.’
Mr McLaughlin told councillor Gordon Blair lessons would be learned. ‘In a fully resourced department we would like to be on all these major sites,’ he said: ‘ We did not have the resources to be out there when the building was going up. Proactive enforcement is the ideal but in reality, with the number of sites being built, we do rely heavily on members of the public. We will be more proactive in assessing more major sites like this.’
Councillor George Freeman asked: ‘The 64,000 dollar question is: is the council facing potential costs over this?’
Mr McLaughlin replied this should not be a consideration of councillors. ‘Members have to view this on the merits of this application,’ he said.
Councillor Roddy McCuish commented: ‘It is absolutely imperative councillors see the site for themselves and have a local hearing.’
Councillors agreed to hold a site visit, followed by a public hearing, set for November 3 at a location in Connel yet to be arranged.
After the meeting Ms Colthart said: ‘My privacy has been destroyed and the stress is becoming unbearable but I’m delighted the committee has agreed to a site visit and public hearing. They will now be able to see for themselves the impact this has had on my home and my life.’
My privacy has been destroyed and the stress is becoming unbearable” Ann Colthart