BROUGHTY FERRY Community Council has accused the developers behind the proposed 270-house scheme north of the burgh of greed.
The organisation’s planning secretary, David Hewick, said the Dundee Local Development Plan, for which representations had to be submitted by yesterday, proposed a greenfield allocation of 150 houses for Linlathen north of Broughty Ferry, although there was historical official opposition to any further greenfield housing development in that part of the city.
The community council had concerns about the idea of 150 dwellings at Linlathen because of flood risk, inadequate safe access, level of car dependency, lack of convenient shops or communal facilities, reduction in food-producing agricultural land and the further incursion of the city into the countryside.
They were depressed “but not entirely surprised” to learn about the application for 270 houses on behalf of Bett and Taylor Wimpey.
Mr Hewick said: “This typical premature and perhaps rather greedy application should be resisted, and the final decisions to determine the location of housing in Dundee should await due consideration in the examination of the new local plan by the Scottish Ministers.”
The application would provide temporary employment, although he added: “to locate a large amount of housing at a relatively inconvenient site, with no adequate provision for services, would store up future problems both for the council and local residents.”
He said it was very likely the community council will object to the Linlathen application, particularly as it is contrary to the current local plan.
Meanwhile, the developers’ agent called for the application to be considered as soon as possible and not have to await the adoption of the final development plan, which is likely to be late in 2014.
Linlathen Developments (Tayside) Ltd, who act for landowner Hugh Niven, and who are coordinating the planning application on behalf of Bett and Taylor Wimpey, believe their plan would bring a major and much-needed boost to the local economy.
Bob Hyslop of Linlathen Developments said: “Part of this land is zoned for housing in the proposed plan so we are not at odds with the council’s planning strategy.
“But we would like to see changes which would alter the timescale of permitted development and increase the number of houses allowed.
“This would help to make up for unavoidable delays and housing shortfall from other sites identified in the proposed plan where there are acknowledged problems.
“We have submitted a detailed representation outlining our case for the application site, and also for the larger area.”
He added: “The access road and services are already there, partly financed by the council and the project would not only provide much needed housing in the east end of the city it would also create more than 200 jobs in the construction industry over five years.
“On top of that, when the development is complete it would generate nearly a million pounds a year in council tax.”
The Linlathen application further calls into question the council’s strategy for wanting to see major new house building developments at the Western Gateway on the other side of the city.
Three potential sites have been identified for land south of Liff, but there has been no clear evidence so far that any developer wants to build there.
aargo@thecourier.co.uk