Fresh appeal to develop land

A fresh attempt is being made to develop land in Bridge of Allan three years after a proposal for two homes was rejected.

Mr F Mcnicol has submitted an application to Stirling Council planners for permission in principle to build a single house on land adjacent and south of The Old Stables on Pendreich Road.

The applicant first submitted a bid in 2019 for two houses on the site, which was refused in June 2020 by planners then on appeal.

In documents submitted with the latest applicant, agents for Mr Mcnicol said the reason for the original refusal related to housing in the countryside guidance, and potential landscape impact.

However, they added: “It should be noted that the previous application was considered at the height of the Covid pandemic, and so no site visit was undertaken by the case officer. No site visit was also undertaken in relation to the Local Review.

“It is considered that the absence of site visits potentially adversely impacted the decisions that were subsequently taken, and hence why the applicant has waited until now to resubmit, and for a lesser development, in the hope that a second application may fair better.

“The new development will be seen on approach to the existing building group, and will appear as an obvious and cohesive part of it, which will be reinforced by the fact that the dwelling will be designed, and will use materials, that will underline, and reinforce this. Furthermore, new planting to the south can provide a new edge that will consolidate this extended group, and ensure it is seen as a single larger group in the wider landscape.”

They added that a “rigorous” visual appraisal showed that the site and Pendreich Farm were “barely visible” within the local area.”

Council planners are expected to make a recommendation on the application in due course.