Revamped plan given tentative nod

Feb 16 2010 Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

A CONTENTIOUS plan to erect flats at Pitlochry’s former Atholl Curling Rink site has been tentatively approved following a significant rethink.

The proposal – now with 22 instead of 29 flats – had been withdrawn earlier due to concerns including density, design, mass and access.

If the plans are approved tomorrow, the old curling rink building and car park at Lower Oakfield to the east of the town centre – mainly residential plus hotels and B&Bs – will be demolished to make way for the development.

The vision is for four separate blocks around a car park, peaking at one-and-three-quarter storeys in height.

Fourteen flats will be affordable housing units managed by a registered social landlord, with the remaining eight units subject to private sale.

In its earlier incarnation, one block had included almost three storeys, prompting a landslide of 146 objections from local residents and organisations such as the Architectural Heritage Society and Pitlochry Civic Trust.

But in a report to be considered at tomorrow’s Perth and Kinross Council development control meeting, planning officer Nick Brian concludes that the revisions comply with the development plan and should be approved.

Some of the previous objections had included concerns about design and materials, lack of amenity space and car parking, increased traffic, overshadowing, privacy, loss of right of way, impact on bats and red squirrels and trees.

Mr Brian addressed all issues, with the exception of objections concerning the development’s perceived impact on tourism and lack of local employment for new occupants, which were not considered relevant.

He stated that there would be no overshadowing or loss of daylight from the new flats, as at the closest point they were 10 metres from the nearest neighbouring property.

Furthermore, he said each unit had a garden, with additional green space around each block, as well as a designated bin area.

Although he acknowledged that the development would have a detrimental impact on protected species, a probe – which also assessed nesting birds – had found no evidence of resident bats or red squirrels.

While five trees would have to be removed to enable construction, none were subject to protection orders and all were outside the conservation area.

And as the revised plans meant a large oak tree was now 12m away from the development, a council woodland officer had withdrawn an earlier objection.

The oak, however, must be protected by stout fencing and the development’s start will be subject to the council’s approval of a detailed landscaping and planting scheme.