Sandy Adam, chair of Springfield Properties’, has challenged Stirling Council on delays by planning officials to progress on its planned housing development at Durieshill.
He attended a council meeting this week appealing for answers, while making a visual statement with an eight-foot figure of a snail to highlight the speed at which he claims the council is moving on the project.
It has been 287 weeks since planning was submitted for the development, which would see the creation of 3,000 homes in the area.
Springfield states that planning officials have failed to meet agreed timescales, most recently pushing back a milestone date that had been earmarked for the Section 75 Agreement to be tabled.
Adam said: “There is a well-documented housing crisis in Scotland, with communities across the country crying out for new private and affordable homes, specifically in Stirling, the need for housing was identified in the local development plan 20 years ago.
“Springfield brought the solution to Stirling Council in 2016, and councillors instructed their officials to move forward with this development in 2019 when permission was granted.
“Since then, significant time and effort has been put into bringing this development to life, and yet five years later we have not been able to proceed.
“It is embarrassing for Stirling Council that we are in this position, unable to move forward because of the inaction of officers who have given no reasonable justification for these delays.”
If progressed, Springfield claims that Durieshill would bring 400 jobs to the area each year, including apprenticeship opportunities.
The most recent delays relate to the Section 75 Agreement, which was due to be discussed at this week's council meeting, but was removed from the agenda at the last minute. The provision, which is a standard part of the planning process, requires Springfield to make a financial contribution to the council to be used for improving local infrastructure.
Adam continued: “We fully recognise the importance of getting the Section 75 right, but the council has had years to look at this, and when councillors asked for clarity on the issue, the reaction of officials is to postpone decisions, rather than using the extensive studies and reports available to answer the questions being raised.”
He concluded: “We need to stop trying to decide what words go on what bits of paper, it is time now to progress, to get the diggers going and to provide the people of Stirling with an outstanding and exemplar new village to call their home.”
Proposals for Durieshill include both private market and affordable homes, a primary and secondary school, cafes, shops, dentists and hairdressers. More than half of the site will be woodland, alongside allotments and amenity space, while hills across the site will remain undeveloped to protect historical views of Stirling.
A Stirling Council spokesperson said: “The Durieshill development is one of largest detailed planning applications to have been approved in Scotland, as such it requires significantly more time to determine than an application for permission in principle for a similar sized development.
“A development of this size and scale also requires complex mitigations for education and transport infrastructure that involves extensive dialogue with third parties to ensure all necessary approvals are in place.
“Stirling Council has already demonstrated significant commitment to this major project, including the approval of capital funding for a new primary school in March 2023.
“The council and the developer are close to completing the Section 75 agreement process, and the council remains committed to working closely with the developer to ensure the development is effectively planned and managed, while the appropriate democratic scrutiny takes place.
“Detailed work on pre-start conditions is also underway which will allow the developer to start at the earliest opportunity once all approvals are in place.”
Don't miss the latest headlines with our twice-daily newsletter - sign up here for free.
