To Murray and Co
Ministers agreeing with him that the development did not comply with the Local Development Plan, they came down on the side of conditional approval.
They said they believed there were “material considerations” why planning permission should be granted in principle – particularly that the reporter should have given more weight to the economic value of the plans and the “regional and national importance” of the sports facility.
Mr Brian’s view had been that – while there were important potential recreation, health, tourism and economic benefits – the scale and potential impact of the development on the green belt and on a protected landscape outweighed these and it was the “wrong location”.
He also felt the number of operational jobs generated by the project was “uncertain”, although acknowledged it would boost employment and tourism.
The economic impact assessment submitted with the proposal had stated the regional economic benefit once the development was up and running would be £4.7m with 18.5 full-time equivalent jobs created during construction plus, once operational, 22 additional jobs at the tennis/golf centre and 130 jobs associated with the hotel. Mr Brian had not been convinced by the case for housing on the site and found some aspects of the developer’s funding model “optimistic and unproven” – as did Ministers.
Both agreed, however, that there were some merits to the developer’s argument that the housing would keep finance costs for the centre down and minimise entry charges to the facility. Among conditions they want attached to the planning obligation between the developer and Stirling Council will be confirmation of how such benefits will be delivered.
Mr Brian did feel the tennis and golf centre would make an important contribution to increasing participation in both sports and, while considering claims from objectors that the facilities could draw members away from existing tennis clubs, had noted that Tennis Scotland expected the centre to feed new players into local clubs.
Ministers, however, attached “significant weight” to Stirling Council planners’ assessment that the proposed golf and tennis facilities would provide a wider sports ‘offer’ for the residents of Stirling and beyond and that the land needed would be difficult to achieve in an urban location.