Planners say no to home on farm site
Plans to build a house on a Balfron farm have been rejected by Stirling Council planners.
Neil Hendry had submitted an application to build the home on land north of Indians Farmhouse at Balfron Station.
However, the planners said the proposal didn’t comply with policy for housing in the countryside.
Four representations were lodged on the application, three of them objections.
Concerns raised included that the proposal could block a potential active travel route, the Kings Highway Project, along part of the disused railway between Balfron and Killearn.
Other issues cited included loss of trees and road safety.
In their decision, the planners said:“the King’s Highway is a long distance walking and cycling route which is included in the Local Transport Strategy as an aspirational strategic route, identified at a national level in the National Cycle Network development plan and included in the candidate list for the City Region Deal Active Travel Programme.
“Given the current status of the proposal it is not considered to be a material consideration in the determination of this planning application.
“The site is located on the western edge of Balfron Station and comprises a plot of level land that is formed by part of the garden ground of the nearest property to the south, Indians Farmhouse, and an open green field to the west. The site is located at the edge of an existing cluster of three houses. The cluster is remote from other settlements.
“The location of the plot and layout of the proposed house have been revised following advice issued by the council. It is therefore accepted that the proposed development would be part of an existing cluster, albeit on the edge, given the three existing residential properties adjacent to the site.
“However, the key issue with the proposal is with compliance with the rest of the [housing in the countryside] guidance. The proposal does not comply with the guidance, as it is not considered a readily definable site and its edge/ extent is not defined by any topographic, natural or landscape stop. The extent of the existing planted buffer strip along the boundary of the plot with Indians Cottage is sparse and immature being under five years old and would not be considered well established or defined in terms of what is expected. Furthermore, the applicant has stated that some of the existing trees within the plot itself would need to be removed in order to develop the proposal and new boundary planting has been proposed along the edge of the field.”