Partial success for shooting party chalets
A Gargunnock landowner has been partially successful in a bid to develop his estate.
David Stirling submitted separate applications to Stirling Council planners to build an estate office and four chalets for shooting parties at Leckie Estate near Gargunnock.
Last week the council’s planning panel agreed to allow the chalets - but refused permission for the estate office.
Councillors made the decisions following a hearing on the proposals, one of which proposed building a two-storey estate office on land near East Lodge, the other which aimed to create four guest chalets 200 metres west of the lodge.
Council planners had recommended approval of both applications but local councillor Graham Lambie had highlighted community concerns about the plans.
Gargunnock Community Council objected to both applications, with a further 14 individuals objecting to the estate office and 18 to the chalets.
The objections raised issues with environmental harm and inappropriate development saying the office building is too big.
Council planners had told the panel: “The Leckie Estate was recently purchased by the applicant.
“The applicant’s business case sets out that the existing farming and forestry activities provide a very limited commercial return for the estate, which has seen little investment.
“These chalets are seen as an intrinsic part of helping to secure the viability of the estate. The proposed chalets are to provide guest accommodation for shooting parties.”
Leckie Estate went on the market in June, 2016, at offers over £3.38 million. It had been in the ownership of the Younger family since 1906 and was on offer as a whole or in four lots.
The estate was home to the late George Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie, a Conservative MP for Ayr who during Margaret Thatcher’s premiership was Secretary of State for Scotland from 1979 to 1986 and Secretary of State for Defence until 1989. Included in the sale was a pheasant shoot and a 494-acre grouse moor.
Viscount Younger died in 2003 to be succeeded by his son James, an hereditary peer. The estate was marketed following the death in November, 2015, of 4th Viscount George Younger’s wife, Diana.