Letham house plan refused
Appeal body agrees with objections
A planning appeal has been denied for a home that would “detract from the streetscape” in Letham.
The application to build an adjoining house to 20 Struan Road - which drew criticism from neighbours - was refused in August 2020.
A previous application to sub-divide the plot and build a house here was refused in 2019.
The appeal for this latest refusal was brought before Perth and Kinross Council’s local review body on Tuesday, February 2.
But the three councillors - who sit on the local review body - unanimously agreed with PKC’s planning department’s reasons for refusal and with many of the issues raised in the nine objections.
The PKC report of handling said: “The two existing properties at both 18 and 20 Struan Road form quite a distinctive ‘bookend’, framing the space between the two terraced rows and creating an identifiable architectural feature.
“The open space between the two properties, through which a public footpath runs, also creates a sense of open space which is obviously quite a deliberate feature as it helps to create quite a definitive break in what would otherwise be a very homogenous terraced row.”
Cllr Willie Wilson said it would “detract from the streetscape” if the new house sat “cheek to jowl” with the public footpath to Castle View.
Cllr Ian James agreed “wholeheartedly” and said removing the parking area from number 20 and building another house on the site could potentially put four vehicles onto “a street where parking is already at a premium.”
Convener Lewis Simpson concurred. Cllr Simpson said he could see “no compelling reason” to overturn the decision reached by the planning department. The refusal of the application was upheld. In December, the PA reported that neighbours feared an application would just keep being lodged until the house was given the go ahead.
One resident told said they felt it was unfair the applications were getting so much consideration when other residents had been denied permission to build relatively modest extensions.
The resident, who did not wish to be named, added: “The planning officer stated yesterday that applications for this proposed dwelling can keep rolling on and on and it might never stop.
“We as residents are sick with stress objecting to this proposed application.”