Every week The Courier reveals the twists and turns of planning applications and approvals in Angus.
And our round-up articles have been a huge hit with readers.
This is a look at the planning issues that provided some of the biggest local talking points in 2024.
1. Duntrune Crematorium
In August, the council’s planning review body granted Friockheim farmer Guthrie Batchelor permission for a £4.5 million crematorium on the border with Dundee.
Plans for the Duntrune site were first lodged back in 2021.
The latest approval was the second time the application had been decided by planning appeal committee councillors.
It previously had to be re-considered by Angus Council after an objector’s successful Court of Session challenge to a previous decision.
The application is now due to return to Scotland’s highest civil court again. The same objector is seeking another review of the case.
It’s unlikely work on the crematorium will begin in early 2025.
2. Carmyllie crematorium
Another crematorium bid for farmland near Carmyllie Hall was rejected at appeal in November.
Myreside Farms wanted to build the 125-mourner facility beside the B961 Monikie to Friockheim road.
But it was blocked on grounds including road safety.
It remains to be seen if the applicant will continue to pursue the application.
3. Cotton of Lownie solar farm
Local campaigners ended the year by claiming victory in their fight against a solar farm near Forfar.
The 30MW Cotton of Lownie scheme would have been used to power Laird’s concrete block plant a few miles away.
Angus Council refused the scheme on the grounds it would cause “significant harm” to the area.
In November, the decision was upheld by the Scottish Government.
The ruling said the green energy benefit would have been outweighed by the scheme’s visual impact from miles away.
4. Angus ‘super-pylons’ and Tealing substation
Rural communities face a major challenge in 2025 if they are to halt – or alter – the direction of a major electricity scheme.
SSEN’s planned line of 400kV overhead pylons – around 60 metres tall – would run through the county. The Scottish Government has the final say on that major project.
But Angus Council will also have a part to play in determining a key part of the infrastructure.
It is the Emmock substation, which is earmarked for 200 acres of Angus farmland a few miles north of Dundee.
Consultation on that element is open until the end of January and a many objections have already been submitted.
5. Forfar housing
Will 2025 be the year a masterplan for the next expansion of Forfar is finally approved?
Developers Muir and Scotia have joined forces to create a joint masterplan for hundreds of new homes at Westfield.
Community consultations took place during 2024.
The blueprint could come forward soon.
Key considerations will include the number of homes, design layout and access arrangements. The future of the Lochlands junction on the Forfar bypass is likely to feature.
However, there will be no expansion north at Turfbeg in the near future. In October, Guild Homes lost a three-year fight to extend its Strathmore Fields development.
6. Links Park project
One of the most exciting developments in decades at the home of Montrose FC is due to kick-off in 2025.
Montrose Community Trust’s Gable End project will create a new hub at the entrance to the football ground.
It will incorporate community meeting space, a sensory viewing area for fans and a dedicated dementia centre.
The trust hopes it will boost their reach by more than a third.
7. Glen Clova Hotel function suite
In July, Glen Clova Hotel was granted permission for a 170-person wedding function suite at the popular venue.
Its owners hope the barn-style addition will double wedding bookings.
And Angus Council bosses welcomed the expansion as a boost to the area’s year-round appeal.
The historic hotel sits just inside the southern boundary of Cairngorms National Park.
It already offers weddings in the main hotel, and had bunkhouse and holiday lodge accommodation.
Couples often marry in Clova kirk, which sits close by. It was kept open by a community trust after being closed some years ago.
It is hoped the new function suite will open in spring 2025.
8. Brechin play castle
One of the most popular garden centres in Tayside revealed plans for a major children’s attraction.
Brechin Castle Centre, beside the A90, aims to create a play castle within its 70-acre grounds.
It would feature turrets, walkways, rope bridges and slides.
The application is still to be decided. But, if approved, the new play castle could be ready to welcome its first young warriors in summer 2025.
9. Montrose sports hub
2025 will see the wraps come off Union Park community sports hub in Montrose.
The building is rapidly taking shape at the home of Montrose Rugby Club on Whinfield Road.
In August, permission was granted for the Union Park Community Sports Club building.
It will have changing rooms, toilets, a medical room, kitchen facilities and plant room.
There will also be multi-purpose spaces and a west-facing veranda to watch cricket and rugby.
Sports club trustees hope other community groups will make full use of its facilities during the week.
Money from the Seagreen offshore windfarm community fund has helped build the new facility.
10. Glamping galore
A flurry of farm diversification projects to create glamping and holiday pods have come forward in Angus.
All have been designed to give visitors the chance to enjoy the area’s stunning natural beauty.
They include approved projects at Hilton of Guthrie, where four pods will each have their own sauna.
A development of six pods and yurts was given the go ahead for a site near Monikie and Crombie country parks.
Others in the pipeline include a two-chalet development near Eassie.
Remember to keep an eye on our weekly Planning Ahead series for details of applications submitted to Angus Council.
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