Objections to rowing club plans downstream of Friarton Bridge

An application to build a clubhouse for a rowing club on the River Tay near Perth has angered residents.

In objections lodged with Perth and Kinross Council they outline concerns about the ability of the roads network to accommodate additional traffic.

The plan at Sleepless Inch, Rhynd, has been lodged by Tay Rowing Club which was formed in 2015 by a group of Perth residents and former students of Dundee University.

The intention is to resurface an existing slipway.

Among the objectors is Grahame Robertson who said increased traffic would be created on a narrow road which has a hazardous junction where it merges with the new road at the bottom of the hill.

“There does not seem to be adequate off-road parking facilities for the scale of the development which means vehicles would be parking on the road, laybys etc,” he said.

“Whilst I have no objections to individuals using the river for leisure purposes I don’t believe this is a suitable site for the proposed development due to these reasons.”

Another objector, Melanie Morris, said: “This is a rural area of outstanding beauty and the alterations proposed will further erode our quality of life as residents in Sleepless Inch.”

In support, Dr John Houston, president of Tay Rowing Club, said: “Should we be successful in obtaining planning permission for our proposals, Tay Rowing Club expect to take a responsible and safe approach to the road usage and to pay our fair share of the maintenance costs of the private road which is the only vehicular access to our site.”

No freshwater pearl mussels were located by a survey.