‘There were a lot of angry people in room’
Many of the estimated 135 local residents who attended the public exhibition last week detailing proposals for 71 affordable housing units at Blackthorn Place were unimpressed by the plans.
One local mum commented: “I live two blocks away and this is not what we signed up for when we moved here. And there are so many issues with it being so close to the school as well.
“I don’t think there is enough infrastructure in place or enough capacity at the school, it is unsustainable.”
Whether the schools could cope with increased numbers of pupils was raised by others as well.
One person said: “We were told a few years ago that the primary school was already at capacity, but most of the proposed new housing seems to be for families, and if this to be the case, where will the children go to school?
“The existing infrastructure within the area cannot support such a highdensity development and should be re-thought before any further action is taken.”
A member of the public who was at the exhibition and who also attended the Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Council meeting the previous week said: “At the last meeting in 2010 there were 15 people who attended, this time it looks as though there is around ten times that, and at the last meeting only two comments were made and this time there is a whole lot more, which I think shows the depth of feeling on this.
“With all the houses in the area that are owner-occupier, I asked Stewart Milne to go away and reconsider doing it at the right percentage of owner-occupier and affordable properties.
“They might have a lot more support if they did that.
“Everyone wants to see the site developed but developed in the right way and with the right houses.”
Others, however, were angrier: “The meeting was a shambles. The room was too small to accommodate the number of people looking for information and only some of the representatives from Stewart Milne, Hillcrest and the council had identification badges so it was difficult to know who to ask for information.
“There were a lot of angry people in that room.
“It seems as if the planning permission will be a mere formality, since the development being built is to be jointly administrated by Hillcrest and Perth and Kinross Council which surely is a conflict of interest?”
And one person who recently moved to the area blasted: “Why would anyone think this is a good idea?
“These sorts of people don’t pay for their housing, the social pays it, they don’t give a damn about the properties and yet someone thinks it’s a good idea to put them right by people who have worked all their lives to buy their homes in an area like this. Why would you take that away from folk?
“It is such a nice area and this development is going to bring all these problems here. It’s just not fair.
“I’m not convinced that the people behind the proposals are listening to us. You’ve got a community here that is half pensioners and half young families with children and Stewart Milne, the council and Hillcrest are not taking that on board, it’s just not right.
“Hopefully the strength of feeling expressed at the exhibition will make them think again - people are actually quite frightened.”
However, opinions are split in the town with many expressing support for plans for an increase in social rented housing.
One person commented: “Those making unfounded and hysterical comments about social housing tenants seem oblivious to the fact that they are insulting the social value of a significant number of the local population who already live law-abiding lives in rented accommodation.”
A Facebook page has been set up called Blackthorn Place Plans which aims to provide interested parties with information and updates on the planning process.
Everyone wants to see the site developed but developed in the right way