Developer hopes to build 400 homes

Development plans for north of town were put on display at Golf Hotel

Plans that could bring 400 homes to Carnoustie over the next decade were put on public display yesterday.

Robertson Homes is planning to submit a planning application in principle later this year to develop a 22-hectare site to the north of the town.

The masterplan shows the site could contain 250 family homes, 150 affordable homes, an extension to the cemetery, road improvements and open space.

The site, which is currently accessed from Shanwell and Pitskelly Roads which also serve Shanwell Cemetery, is currently identified as countryside in the Angus Local Development Plan.

A public exhibition was held at Carnoustie Golf Hotel yesterday.

Planning consultant Stuart Szylak, of Rick Finc Associates, said: “We will apply for planning permission in principal for the whole site. We will then put in a number of other planning applications with the detail.”

Mr Szylak said that Angus Council had identified a need to extend the cemetery and that the proposal would provide the land for the local authority to do this.

Responding to local concerns that the woodland trail at Pitskelly would be affected by the development, he said they were not part of the development site.

He said the school catchment for the homes would be Burnside Primary and Carnoustie High School.

“Our current understanding is that there is capacity at these schools for an increase in population in Carnoustie,” he added.

“If there wasn’t capacity the local authority have the ability to ask the developer for contributions that would go to upgrading, extending, enhancing if required. There’s a route through the planning process where we can deal with that.

“We understand that there’s only one GP practice in the town and it has 13,000 people on its list. What we could potentially do is provide a space or building for some sort of medical facility. That’s all up for debate.”

Carnoustie councillor David Cheape said he had a number of concerns about the plans including the land being prime agricultural land, the majority of which was not allocated in the Angus local development plan for housing.

He added: “Building on this land would have an unacceptable impact on the natural environment, surrounding amenities particularly at the cemetery.”

Picture: Paul Smith. Gladys Noble and planning consultant from Rick Finc Associates, Stuart Szylak.

The area which would be covered by the proposed development.