Council planning staff have recommended an application to create a new cemetery in the Carse of Gowrie be approved despite acknowledging the proposal will be “heavily reliant” on mourners using private cars to get there.
Officers have recommended councillors back landowner Andrew Threipland’s second application to form the burial ground on land north of Rait next week as they believe amendments made to the scheme since his first bid was refused “tips the balance” in its favour.
They reached their conclusion despite recognising the proposal is contrary to one of their own Local Development Plan policies relating to transport standards as well as planning guidance issued by the Scottish Government.
Two years ago officers judged Mr Threipland’s initial proposal to form the cemetery plus a columbarium, a car park and a new access road on land between Rait and Fingask Castle would spoil the surrounding landscape.
They also raised concerns in their report of handling the development would draw too many mourners to the area over time and they would clog up nearby roads with their cars.
Officers have now changed their tune and prepared a new report recommending councillors approve Mr Threipland’s latest planning application at a committee meeting next week.
They say a change to the initial proposal meaning mourners will now be able to use an existing access road to get to the site and a new one is no longer required will save “a significant amount of cut and fill” having to be done to the local landscape.
Their report goes on to recognise that approving such a development in a rural setting “runs counter” to efforts to reduce people’s use of private cars to move around but adds these concerns need to be “balanced” with other considerations.
The document states: “Given the rural nature of this site and the distances involved to public transport links this means there is little realistic alternative to private motorised transport.
“A site within or closer to an urban centre, or even a larger rural settlement, would have more options for those wishing to travel by public transport or without access to a car.
“While transport planning do not object to the proposal on road safety grounds, the proposed site location runs counter to the aims of minimising travel by private car which means the proposal is contrary to Policy 60B: Transport Standards and Accessibility as well as the Scottish Government’s Scottish Planning Policy.”
However the report concludes: “While the proposal will be heavily reliant on travel by private car resulting in potentially unsustainable travel patterns this has to be balanced against the economic benefits of the scheme.
“With the improvements to the design and layout of the scheme as well as [a] reduction in the number of burial lairs it is considered that this now tips the balance in favour of the development, which is also contained within a natural bowl in a location equidistant between Perth and Dundee.”
The report and its recommendation to approve the application is scheduled to be considered by the council’s planning and placemaking committee next Wednesday (August 10).
