A major Angus developer has lodged a fresh planning bid for more than 200 Forfar houses.
Guild Homes has just submitted a revised scheme for land at Turfbeg West, between the town’s community campus and the A90.
It’s a scaled back version of a £50 million plan for 245 houses the firm lodged with Angus Council in 2021.
The Garth Farm site is west of the company’s under-construction Strathmore Fields development, due for completion in 2024.
But the land they want to build on is not currently zoned for housing in the Angus local plan.
However, the original proposal never went before councillors.
The company lodged an appeal with the Scottish Government over non-determination of the application.
In August last year, Reporter Keith Bray dismissed that appeal.
He highlighted a housing land shortage and said there was a “strong public interest in progressing new housing sites in west Angus”.
But Mr Bray said the cumulative shortcomings of the plan and its conflict with development plan policy outweighed the need to address the housing land shortfall.
Guild Homes say they have taken on board the criticisms.
And they remain of the view the 216-house expansion is a “logical and sustainable extension to the ongoing development at Strathmore Fields”.
“The Reporter highlighted a number of areas of specific concern,” say the firm.
Those were:
- Noise, specifically to the properties to the northwest of the site
- Perceived impact on Forfar Loch Country Park
- Issues related to design.
The firm say: “The proposed development layout has been amended to respond to all the areas that were of concern to the Reporter.
“Notwithstanding our belief that the refusal of the original proposal was ultimately an opportunity missed for people living and working in Forfar, we have formulated this new application in order to address any possible concerns in relation to the development of Turfbeg West, and ensure that new homes are brought forward as quickly as possible.”
They say the current local plan is out of date and are confident a revised national planning policy will support permission.
What happens next?
The application, which includes 25% affordable housing, was submitted to Angus Council in late December and has just been validated.
It is available to view on the council’s planning portal.
Neighbours and the public have the opportunity to comment on the proposal from now.
Planners have set a deadline of early May for the application to be determined.
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