The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Battle lines: Bid to build homes at site of famous 1644 clash.
Ribbon Homes has asked the Government to rule on application
A construction firm has gone to war over a rejected housing scheme at an ancient Perthshire battleground.
Ribbon Homes wants to build a new estate at the site of the 17th Century Battle of Tippermuir, near Perth, but the scheme was rejected by Perth and Kinross Council after complaints from residents.
Now the company has called on the Scottish Government to overturn the decision and pave the way for development to begin.
Bosses are also demanding expenses from the local authority, claiming its councillors acted “unreasonably”.
Alloa-based Ribbon Homes applied for permission to build 12 houses on land off Marlefield Grove, Tibbermore, in June last year.
The site is part of the Tippermuir battleground, the scene of a famous 1644 clash between Royalist and Covenanter armies.
The fight is significant as the first victory for the James Graham, the Marquis of Montrose, who became feared and renowned for his tactics on the battlefield.
Although Historic Scotland did not object to the housing plan, the organisation urged planners to consider the development’s impact on the site of “national importance”.
Eight residents objected, arguing against the design of the buildings and claiming the new houses could overlook their properties.
Councillors went against planners’ recommendations and rejected the plan on the grounds that it “does not respect the character and amenity of the place” and represented an “over development of the site”.
In a letter to Scottish Ministers, agents for Ribbon Homes said the bid was acceptable.
It stated: “The proposal is fully supported by the council’s development quality manager and there has been no objection to it from the council’s internal and external consultees. It is compliant with all planning policies.
“The application, however, was refused by the planning committee on the basis it would harm the character of the area, in terms of density and access.
“In our view, there is absolutely no basis in planning policy, national or local, to support such a conclusion.”
A follow-up letter calls for an award of expenses against the council. A spokeswoman for Holder Planning, representatives for Ribbon Homes, said: “In choosing to disregard the officer recommendation for conditional approval, the committee ignored the clear advice from a range of statutory consultees ... none of whom objected to the development.
“It is therefore submitted that the council acted unreasonably, that it should never have been necessary for the appellant (Ribbon Homes) to appeal this decision and that they have incurred unnecessary expense and delay in pursuing the appeal.”
A member of the Scottish Government’s planning and environment and appeals division will visit the site of the row later this month.
Officials are expected to deliver their verdict by the middle of March.