Developer’s homes appeal is refused

Councillors have backed officials who refused to grant a Glenrothes-based company consent to build a further two houses close to an existing cluster south west of Burnside House near Kelty.

The Lomond Group were dissatisfied with an officer’s ruling that their proposal would result in “an extended run of ribbon development”being built along Benarty Road and asked the council’s local review body to consider approving it instead.

Consultants acting for the company argued in an appeal statement that allowing them to build another two houses on land west of three others would merely represent“a small scale extension of the existing group into a wholly defensible site”.

They also argued the officer’s reason for refusal

“would preclude any development along one side or a rural road”.

However, all three members of the Local Review Body sided with the official who refused the Lomond Group’s application when they met virtually on Wednesday.

Strathallan councillor Tom Gray remarked:“I see this whole sequence of houses as ribbon development, frankly. I feel this is [turning] into an almost manufactured site, rather than a natural extension or completion of a group.”

Perth City South councillor Willie Wilson said he agreed the proposal would constitute further ribbon development as well and that he also feared allowing it would only encourage the developer to apply to build more houses along the road in future.