Plans for almost 300 homes on the edge of Arbroath have been recommended for approval by Angus planners.
Persimmon Homes will go before the authority’s development standards committee tomorrow/on Tuesday with a green-light recommendation for the 9.4 hectare greenfield site at East Muirlands Road, land which has been allocated for housing in the latest local development plan.
The company proposes a mix of two-storey and cottage flat properties ranging from one to five bedrooms in 13 different house types within the 287-unit development.
A proposed layout indicates two accesses being taken from East Muirlands Road on the south of the site, with secondary routes running east/west across the development.
Angus Council received 17 representations to the application, 16 objecting to the Persimmon plan.
They were submitted in relation to reasons including the scale of the development, traffic increase and road safety issues and capacity issues at both Muirfield primary school and Arbroath High School.
Education chiefs have said the current roll at Arbroath High is just in excess of 80%, with the primary school figure projected to rise from just 37.8% capacity to around 80% if a predicted rise of around 65 youngsters resulted from the development.
“On this basis it is concluded that there are no unacceptable impacts on education infrastructure for either primary or secondary education and no mitigation is required,” states the conditional approval recommendation going before councillors.
It adds: “It is recognised that the development would generate additional traffic on the local road network and there are concerns from third parties.
Councillors also previously raised concerns about junction capacity at both East Muirlands Road/Keptie Road and Forfar Road/Cairnie Road/Keptie Road.
The roads department has suggested a range of conditions to cover traffic matters, including extending the 30mph limit on the adjacent Arbroath to Hillhead road and altering pedestrian access to it.
The report concludes: “The development of the site in the manner proposed will provide for a significant contribution towards housing land supply for Arbroath and the wider East Angus Housing Market Area in a manner that is consistent with relevant development plan policy.”
