A move by a pair of developers to form a new junction east of Auchterarder accessing the A9 has drawn an objection from a local community council.
Muir Homes and the Stewart Milne Group sent Perth and Kinross Council their application to construct the slip road at Shinafoot at the end of October last year but it was only validated the week before Christmas.
The companies say their proposal meets an obligation written into an agreement struck with the council when it granted the pair outline permission to build homes on land at Castlemains and Kirkton back in 2013.
The obligation requires the developers to complete a junction leading onto the A9 before they allow any more than 389 of the new homes built at the above two locations to be occupied.
Consultants acting for the pair have told PKC in a planning statement: “The cap of 389 open market housing units on the area subject of consent ... until the Shinafoot junction improvement works are open for use means that approval of this application is vital to ensure continuity of housebuilding in the major growth area of Auchterarder.”
However Auchterarder and District Community Council (ADCC) have objected to the application being approved by planners pointing out the original obligation agreed with PKC actually required the developers to create a two-way junction.
The community council has told the local authority: “The usefulness of this junction must be called into question as all HGVs would be routed down a very narrow road and out onto a dangerous junction.
“Although the application indicates improvements to the road and a reduction of the speed limit at the junction, this reduction would be generally ignored by most, as the existing limits are.”
ADCC go to say in their objection: “The main reason for this junction in the [obligation] was to reduce the impact of additional traffic on Auchterarder, however with this being reduced to a single slip, all traffic heading south would still travel via The Fues along with the north bound which is already a bottleneck.
“There is no mention of closing the crossover at Aberuthven which would indicate that traffic would still be able to access the village via a dangerous junction.”
Last June, Perth councillor Willie Wilson said during a meeting of the council’s planning and development management committee he thought the junction was being proposed at a “stupid” location.
He said as members considered a proposal of application notice submitted by the same developers: “This is a complete nonsense. I know the area well. It’s a stupid place ... I think stupid is the only word for it.”
Strathallan councillor Crawford Reid also said during the same meeting: “There is unanimous agreement from the Auchterarder community council, all the hauliers and bus operators that the proposed location is not appropriate.
“It’s clear to me speaking to all the local user groups that this would be yet another sub-standard junction coming off the A9 and there is absolutely nobody in support of this location.”
The application awaits further comment from consultees including Transport Scotland which has requested additional time to assess the proposal.
