An agent for developers of a 1800-house plan on the western outskirts of Perth says the council missed an opportunity by narrowly rejecting it.
On Wednesday, members of Perth and Kinross Council’s development control committee voted 6-5 against an outline plan submitted by landowners, the Pilkington Trust, to create the controversial Almond Valley Village on land adjacent to Huntingtower and Ruthvenfield.
This was despite the council’s development quality manager Nick Brian, recommending approval of the plan, which would have included a primary school and leisure, retail and office facilities.
One of the main bones of contention for councillors was a masterplan not being provided before the application was lodged.
The Almond Valley Village proposal has been debated for years in Perth and Kinross.
Peter Pearson, chairman of Methven and District Community Council, said the ”crux” of the matter was that a lot of people were happy being villagers, living on the edge of Perth.
”We don’t want to be part of Perth,” he said. ”It’s quite clear that this proposal is an extension of Perth. It is like a big elastoplast sticking communities into Perth.”
He added: ”There has to be a balance between housing and the need to conserve and restore.”
This view was backed by Councillor George Hayton, who represents the Almond and Earn ward. He addressed the committee, telling them he found the council report on the plan ”schizoid.”
”I’ve never met any resident who is in favour of this plan,” he said. ”There would be all kinds of problems, largely with the infrastructure. The plan extends over the A85 heading for Tibbermore and into Bridgeton well beyond the Almond Valley Village.”
Committee member Councillor Ian Campbell asked Mr Brian: ”What’s in this for us? Why on earth are we looking at this without a masterplan?”
Councillor Wilma Lumsden, another representative for Almond and Earn and committee member, opposed the plan, mainly on the basis that it contravened a policy of the 1995 local development plan.
”As a village dweller I can see no merits in this application,” she said.
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Councillor Lorraine Caddell said she didn’t want the area to be ”blighted’.’
”I don’t want to give these villagers up as sacrificial lambs and can’t support this without a masterplan to see,” she said.
Earlier, the committee heard from Alastair Wood, director of Savills Planning, acting on behalf of the Pilkington Trust, who described the planned village as a ”very special place.”
He said: ”This is the first stage of a long expansion of Perth, which would provide a strategic level of housing. It would provide enhanced growth for Perth as a whole. Perth will prosper as a whole.”
He continued: ”Should the council approve this, significant investment will be made and building could start in 2013. The Almond Valley Village project has been on the cards for many years and is essential if Perth is to be able to accommodate the Scottish Government statisticians’ projected increase in population over the next 20 years and beyond.
”Given that restrictions on public spending are likely to continue for some time, the approval of Almond Valley Village should be welcomed by the wider community of Perth as it is the only proposal in front of the council that will be able to provide new homes for future generations to live in without diverting precious council spending from elsewhere.
”The number of houses will need to be worked out in the masterplan 1800 homes could be built, but it might be 1600. These will provide much-needed housing in Perth.”
The committee rejected the plan by six to five, which was met with applause from the public galleries.
After the decision, Mr Wood hit out at the council.
”The Pilkington Trust has made a significant investment taking forward the proposals to this stage, undertaking detailed flooding and environmental studies and working with the council itself, to provide the A9/A85 infrastructure, which is essential,” he told The Courier.
”The council has missed the opportunity today to provide a clear signal that it does have ambitions for sustainable economic growth and we will have to consider our position in terms of moving forward.
”The point of today was to approve the principle of development which would have provided the confidant for the landowners to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in detailing the masterplan and undertaking a full community consultation event that opportunity now appears to have been lost.
”It’s our intention to reflect on this decision. The site provides the main opportunity for the level of housing Perth needs there’s no other option.”