A former footballer has threatened to move his furniture refinishing firm to Fife if the council does not allow him to keep his business in the Kinross area.
Ex-Celtic and Clyde defender Andrew Traub runs Fabby Furniture, whose landlord says the company has to leave its base at Clashburn Road.
The 36-year-old says there is nowhere suitable in the built-up Kinross or Milnathort area for his business.
So he wants to move into a new 5,000 sqft prefab building on Orwell Farm, three miles east of the town.
Husband and wife team Jeff Manson and Lynsay Bell have submitted the planning application for the new building.
Since buying Orwell Farm in 2019, the couple have transformed the site from a ruined steading into a modern business estate.
“There is no other suitable site/property available,” their planning statement says.
“Without this opportunity, the employment of local people is at risk, the growth of Fabby Furniture’s business and the loss of a fantastic circular economy business from Perth and Kinross.
“The business has found a suitable space in Glenrothes.
“However, as four out of five of Andrew’s employees live within Kinross town centre there is a reluctance from the existing team to commute to Glenrothes.
“Should the facilities not be provided at Orwell Farm, Andrew will have no option but to relocate his business to the Fife premises and potentially seek new employees to replace those who are not willing or are not able to commute.
“Orwell Farm has the ability to physically deliver the new building for let to Fabby Furniture.”
Jeff and Lynsay have so far poured £850,000 into revamping the farm.
As well as establishing the Fabby Furniture building, they want to convert part of the steading to an outdoor-focused childcare business.
Interested parties have until February 26 to comment on the application to build a 5,000 sqft on the site.
Concern as percentage of Airbnbs in Gleneagles block reaches 25%
Gleneagles residents have hit out at the escalating number of Airbnb-type homes in their block.
Garry Graham, of Glasgow-based constructors Nu City Comms, has applied to convert a flat at Guthrie Court into a holiday let.
The property changed hands for £270,000 in September 2023.
One of the two objectors to the proposal is Alan Barclay, who wrote: “The Guthrie Court development consists of 60 homes made up of two- or three-bedroom flats.
“Within the development there are already 15, as per the short terms lets licensing public register, short-term lets licenses, which equates to 25% of the total homes given over to this type of accommodation.
“During a housing crisis in Scotland, we suggest this percentage of short-term lets in this development is already high without increasing this percentage.”
Fellow objector Thomas Burnett wrote: “The current high number of short-term let units already within the Guthrie Court development has negatively impacted the availability of residents parking spaces, especially during weekends or peak holiday periods.”
Carse of Gowrie homes plan resubmitted after objections
A planning application for two houses in the Carse of Gowrie that was scuppered after multiple objections has been resubmitted.
In December, Colin Chalmers withdrew his scheme to develop land 50 metres west of existing houses in East Pilmore, between Invergowrie and Kingoodie.
This was after the proposal received six comments that included four objections.
Concerns included increased traffic, elevated safety risk for drivers entering the A90, loss of privacy for neighbours and negative impact on local wildlife.
Objectors Chris and Jackie Campbell wrote: “One of the proposed properties adjoins our garden and, with no details available of house type, we have fears around invasion of privacy, lack of sunlight and damage to the boundary wall that we replaced at our own cost.”
Mr Chalmers says the new application includes a passing place to the west of the area’s access road.
His supporting statement said: “The design and layout of the passing place meets the specification of the transport planning team of Perth and Kinross Council.”
Interested parties have until Monday February 24 to comment on the resubmitted plan.
Simon Howie wants 5.5-metre turbine adverts
Simon Howie has applied for two company adverts to be drawn onto his new turbine in Dunning.
The 104-metre-high wind turbine – taller than the Statue of Liberty – was installed at the meat tycoon’s Findony Farm factory in September.
Mr Howie’s approved planning application for the turbine drew 79 objections.
But there were cheers when turbine parts navigated Dunning’s narrow streets ahead of its installation in September.
The renewable energy project also includes 3,800 solar panels on the company’s land.
Now he wants a company graphic saying ‘Simon Howie, the Scottish Butcher’ permanently etched on each side of the turbine’s main generator body.
The writing could be as large as 2m high by 5.5m wide.
Consultation for the planning application is ongoing.
Murrayshall wins consent for lodges, spa and leisure facility
Murrayshall Country Estate has been given the green light to add a spa and leisure facility, as well as 25 holiday lodges.
It is the latest part of a £30 million vision to transform the Scone hotel into one of Scotland’s top golf resorts and within the top 25 in the UK.
Councillors unanimously approved the plans put before Perth and Kinross Council’s Planning and Placemaking Committee.
They had been recommended for approval by the council’s planning team.
The hotel’s new spa building will include pools, saunas, steam rooms, a gym, changing rooms and cafés for the use of the local community as well as staying guests.
The lodges will be a mix of two, three and four-bedroomed one or two-storey units built.
However, the application received 56 letters of objection.
Scone and District Community Council raised concerns about construction traffic accessing the narrow roads, the impact on biodiversity and loss of green space.
The community council described the design of the 5.5m high square leisure facility – with timber cladding and a glazed wall system – as “inappropriate” and ” completely unsympathetic to the existing historical development”.
The spa and holiday lodges will be built south of the hotel and its existing two golf courses.
The site is currently part of the Lynedoch golf course, which has been reduced from 18 holes to a 10-hole course.
Here are the links to the planning papers for the Perth and Kinross applications
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