Title deed objection to plan for specialist facility

A Rumbling Bridge resident has claimed local school bosses are not allowed to build a replacement facility on land near her property - and says she has paperwork to prove it.

Management of Seamab School have applied for consent to create a new, purpose-built school building to replace what they have termed as their “outdated and poorly functioning” current premises within a converted residential property.

Seamab is a registered charity that provides care and education for children and young people from across Scotland who have complex needs and require specialised intensive support.

It’s understood up to 21 children currently attend Seamab School and up to 15 of those children are supported in residential placements across three bungalows about a mile away.

Bosses say the proposed new school building will provide enhanced facilities more suited to their pupils’ and staff’s needs while maintaining the feel of a domestic dwelling rather than a formal institutional environment.

However one objector claims to hold deeds that say restrictions apply to what sorts of developments should be approved on the land Seamab wish to build the new school.

The objector has told PKC:“As detailed in our title deeds with reference [to] the land known as Front Field, now Seamab School, a restriction to development was imposed on it on November 16, 1987 with reference to what could be built on the land and it also detailed the rights of servitude to the land.

“It states that only a single dwelling, a garage and a shed could be built on this land, therefore the building of a new school should not be permitted.”

The same objector also reckons access to the site is an“issue”at the moment as they say a road leading to it is“not in the best”of conditions, a point backed up by a second objector in a separate submission.

The first objector says two nearby farms require around the clock access to their land using the same road and has argued it is unsuitable for the sorts of heavy vehicles used to deliver equipment and materials during construction projects.

They have told PKC:“This is a single track farm road and not in the best condition [and] the addition of heavy plant will cause a lot of damage and possibly restrict access to both farms.

“Due to the damage that could be caused we would not be prepared to allow access to construction traffic.”

The second objector said:“In the planning application it states that the road has been recently resurfaced - this is not the case.

“The road is approximately 302 metres long from the A977 to the entrance to Seamab. Only 25 metres have been resurfaced to a very poor standard. It’s in an awful state.”

The application awaits a decision from PKC planners.