600 houses planned for Dunbeg
A MASTERPLAN envisioning 600 new houses between Dunbeg and Ganavan as a ‘gateway’ to Oban was unveiled at a public meeting in Dunbeg Primary School on Friday.
If endorsed by Argyll and Bute Council, the Dunbeg Corridor Masterplan would allow developers to build ‘a mix of for-sale units and multi-tenure affordable homes’, including ‘recreation, commercial, community facilities, business and industry, and three strategic development roads’, on ‘ vacant land to the north of A85 between existing settlements of Dunbeg and Ganavan’.
Link Group, one of Scot- land’s largest social landlords, set out its vision to expand the two communities by ‘a series of new neighbourhoods’ in a ‘coastal woodland settlement’, which can act as a ‘catalyst for ancillary shops, cafes and community uses’ and ‘increase employment opportunities’.
The masterplan says: ‘Dunbeg offers a completely new dynamic to employment, education and training – making it a place people will come to work, live and pursue recreational activities.’
Employment generated by the new commercial and tourism facilities, and construction programme, would increase the area’s economic growth, it argued, and ‘a considerable council tax revenue increase will be realised from the additional houses and increased rates from the new business area’.
Project architect Tom Connolly, of Elder and Cannon Architects, Glasgow, explained: ‘This does not mean any houses will get built. You cannot build until a planning application goes in.’ Instead, the masterplan sets out ‘how change can be delivered. The landscape is the asset.’
To improve access into Dunbeg, Argyll and Bute Council renewed planning permission last May to build a new roundabout on land south-west of Pennyfuir Cottage, near the Halfway House filling station on the A85 Oban to Perth road.
Dunbeg Community Council chairman Sean MacIntyre said: ‘ We are behind the project for more houses. There is an urgent need. There are 500 on the waiting list.
‘ We strongly feel that no more traffic can be allowed to come through the village, especially the Kirk Road area. The road is already in a sad and dangerous state and cannot take another 250-plus cars going through the village. The potential upgrade of the Kirk Road is great news.’
He was also ‘upbeat’ at plans to install the A85 roundabout.