Perthshire Advertiser

Flood concerns but 49 homes approved

Western edge plan goes ahead on casting vote

- KATHRYN ANDERSON

A Perth housing developmen­t in an area repeatedly affected by flooding has been approved by a convener’s casting vote.

Councillor­s on Perth and Kinross Council’s planning and developmen­t management committee were split six votes apiece when they met virtually on Tuesday.

They were asked to consider Bellway’s plans to build 49 homes on Perth’s western edge between Charlotte Gate and Broxden Park and Ride.

Two Perth councillor­s put forward an amendment to defer a decision until further informatio­n regarding flooding was available.

The report of handling said the site had attracted “little interest” as an employment site. Councillor­s were recommende­d to depart from the local developmen­t plan and approve the site as a residentia­l site with the developmen­t of 49 homes by Bellway.

Perth City Centre SNP councillor Eric Drysdale raised concerns about the “significan­t flooding” in Perth city centre on August 11/12 downstream of this developmen­t site. He asked for assurances the developmen­t would not increase downstream flood risk.

Gavin Bissett from PKC’s flooding team said: “There is certainly no dispute there is significan­t flood risk within the Craigie Burn and Scouring Burn catchment in which this developmen­t sits.”

He added: “This site forms part of the wider masterplan for the Charlotte Gate developmen­t. And the drainage for this site was all included within the original designs. All surface water arising from the developmen­t will be captured and routed into the existing drainage system. This has already got agreed discharge rates and there is capacity in the system to take this.”

He said there would be “no difference” from what is currently being discharged and coming downstream and there was a betterment - requested due to the known flood risk downstream - on the undevelope­d situation for the wider site.

Mr Bissett added: “We can’t say there will never be flooding due to it being a natural event.”

Perth City South Lib Dem councillor Willie Wilson said he understood the flood ponds “over-topped” on August 11/12.

But Mr Bissett said as far as the flooding team was aware the two wet ponds directly north of the site - part of the flood protection scheme - did not over-top but a dry pond north of the Glasgow Road did.

Cllr Wilson asked if the flooding team was aware of “seepage” on to the Glasgow Road on October 3 to the extent traffic had to slow down because of two/three inches of water seeping onto the road.

Mr Bissett said that incident instigated a further inspection by the reservoir engineer who concluded there was “no concerns or damage to the wet ponds of the flood protection scheme.”

Conservati­ve councillor Roz McCall moved the developmen­t for approval and said: “It has been assessed. In doing so we have found out that we are actually going to have a better position of flooding than if we were leaving it as an open site.”

Ian James seconded. He said it was “not ideal” and concerns over flooding were “rightly so” but was satisfied the drainage put in place for the developmen­t would “go some way towards mitigating all of this.”

Cllr Wilson moved for a deferral, saying: “I have grave concerns about us even thinking of moving this today without further informatio­n on flood attenuatio­n.”

Cllr Drysdale seconded. He said he was “very reluctant indeed to increase in any way that flood risk.”

Votes were tied six apiece. Convener Roz McCall held the casting vote and voted for approval.

 ??  ?? Consent Developmen­t of the site was passed on casting vote
Consent Developmen­t of the site was passed on casting vote

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