Durieshill is going to be Stirling’s newest village, with more than 3,000 new houses built over 30 years.
New shops, schools, sports facilities, a business park, civic areas, playparks, woodland and active travel routes are included in the plans for the 593-acre site near Plean.
It’s the largest detailed planning application for housing ever to be approved in Scotland, and locals are being invited to find out more at planned consultation events.
Here’s an in-depth look at how Stirling’s brand new village will eventually look.
Where is Durieshill going to be?
The village will lie along a stretch of Roman Road between Stirling’s Pirnhall Roundabout and Plean.
The site is currently agricultural land and home to several houses.
How many people will live in Durieshill?
Under the current proposals, it is expected that around 6,900 people will live in the village.
This is based on the average household size in Stirling as shown in the 2011 census – 2.3.
How many houses will be built?
Out of the 3,012 planned homes, 2,116 will be houses and 896 will be flats.
A quarter of these properties will be affordable housing.
Ultimately, there will be nine residential areas in Durieshill: The Village Core, Old Town, Gartwhinnie, Easter Gartwhinnie, Durieshill South, Springvale, The Grazings, Durieshill North, and Roadhead.
What infrastructure will be built to accommodate the Durieshill population?
Two primary schools will be required, with 600 children expected to be living in the village.
The first school has been given the go-ahead by Stirling Council, and Bannockburn High School has capacity for secondary provision for seven academic years.
A new campus will be built to host both a primary and secondary school, with sports pitches and facilities for community use.
A 30-bed care home, intended for people with dementia and in need of respite care, will contain residential flats with a communal space and private garden.
This would be located in the core of the village, alongside 15 commercial units and a pedestrianised civic square.
These units could become shops, cafes, or be used for other services, such as a dentist, hairdresser, post office or pharmacy.
A business park is planned for the north-east area of the development, to provide office space and industrial units.
Who is in charge of the project?
The developers are Springfield Properties, Barratt Homes, and David Wilson Homes.
Stirling Council has agreed to support the capital investment needed for delivering the education and transport infrastructure, totalling almost £57 million, spread over 24 years.
How will Durieshill impact traffic?
Durieshill’s developers say plans are in place to ensure Stirling and the surrounding area can cope with increased traffic.
According to the transport assessment, on weekdays there will be 1,750 vehicular two-way trips during the morning peak hour (between 7.40am and 8.40am) and 1,594 trips during the evening peak hour (4.35pm to 5.35pm).
This is expected to increase traffic on the M9 (North), A91, and the A9 links roads via the A872/Pirnhall Interchange and the A9 via Cadgers Loan/Glen Road.
To deal with this increase, developers plan to upgrade the existing roads.
Notably, the A872/Roman Road junction would become a three-arm roundabout, and the A872 would be widened between the junction and the Pirnhall Interchange to two lanes in the northbound direction.
Further upgrades are proposed for Pirnhall Interchange.
There would also be an active travel link across the interchange, supported by a new pedestrian and cycle bridge.
How will healthcare services be impacted?
Durieshill is currently located within the catchment area for Bannockburn and Plean Health Centres.
Though there are no plans in place currently, there is potential that a health centre could be delivered as part of the proposed dementia care facility.
When The Courier asked developers if there were plans for a health centre, a spokesperson said: “Careful consideration has been made in relation to local amenities and services to ensure Durieshill has everything it needs to thrive.
“As part of the Section 75 agreement, financial contributions will be allocated by the council to a variety of public services, including healthcare, to support the growth of the Durieshill community.”
Will there be work opportunities in Durieshill?
The developers say up to 130 new jobs will be created during construction of Durieshill.
An additional 770 post-construction jobs in the new commercial centre, community facilities and business units are also expected to be created as the village progresses.
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