Developers behind a controversial housing proposal on Bridge of Allan green belt land are appealing its non-determination by Stirling Council.
Allanwater Homes submitted a planning application for 46 homes on a site off the town’s Blairforkie Drive in February this year.
Around 300 objections have since been lodged with planners including ones from Dunblane and Bridge of Allan community councils.
Residents living near the site – bounded by the popular Darn Walk, Blairforkie Drive and Fishers Green – have expressed concern about its potential environmental impact as well as increased road traffic and pressures on infrastructure.
Campaign group, Save Blairforkie Greenspace, has also been set up to oppose the plans.
Allanwater Homes this week lodged an appeal with the Scottish Government planning and environmental appeals division (DPEA) on the failure of Stirling Council to determine planning permission.
In a submission to the DPEA, Geddes Consulting, on behalf of Allanwater Homes, said the appeal should be upheld and planning permission granted, pointing to Local Development Plan (LDP) policies and Scottish Planning Policy (SPP).
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It states: ‘The Housing Land Supply Statement demonstrated, based on the Housing Land Audit 2020, that there was a shortfall in the supply of housing land in Stirling and the housing land requirement will not be met by 2027. That position has worsened following publication of the Housing Land Audit 2021.
‘The shortfall in the effective housing land supply is significant and will not be addressed over the development plan period.’
LDP provisions involving the five year Effective Housing Land Supply and Scottish Planning Policy applied in the determination of the appeal.
The statement continued: ‘LDP Policy 1.5 Green Belts and LDP Policy 2.10 Housing in the Countryside should be assessed as being not up-to-date for the determination of this appeal as they are the counterparts of the housing allocations policy in the LDP which has failed to deliver sufficient housing to meet the requirements of the development plan.
‘Limited weight should be applied to LDP Policy 1.5 Green Belts and LDP Policy 2.10 Housing in the Countryside in the determination of the planning permission application.
‘The appeal proposal does not conflict with any other relevant LDP policies, as summarised in this appeal statement and set out in the planning statement and other supporting documents.
‘There are no objections to the appeal proposal from consultees and, subject to appropriate planning conditions and Section 75 legal agreement, the appeal proposal accords with all relevant development plan requirements.’
Reference was also made in the statement to a Court of Session opinion (Gladman 2) which ‘confirms that a tilted balance in favour of granting planning permission applies in cases where a shortfall in the effective housing land supply emerges.’
In these circumstances, it went on, ‘planning permission should only be refused where disbenefits of a proposal can be shown to significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.
‘There are no adverse impacts which significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the appeal proposal.
‘No material considerations have been identified by the council that indicate the appeal should be refused.’
Campaign group Save Blairforkie Greenspace said in a statement this week: “This is particularly disappointing as we had fully expected that Stirling Council would refuse the application as it contravenes a number of key Stirling Council policies.
“Our group of 334 people supporting objections to the project have been notified of this development.
“While we understand that the Scottish Government will take into account all objections submitted to date (almost 300), we are taking professional advice to ensure that we continue to resist development of this designated green belt land, the loss of which would have major impact on this key edge of the village with all the amenity that it offers.”
