Plans for 152 new homes at Blairgowrie have been approved, despite widespread opposition.
Objectors said the Persimmon Homes estate amounted to a massive overdevelopment of the site off Dunkeld Road.
But councillors agreed to a recommendation from planners that the scheme should go ahead.
It comes after Persimmon reduced the number of properties in the application from 171 to 152.
Perth and Kinross Council’s planning committee was reminded Scotland has declared a “housing emergency”.
And a Persimmon spokesman revealed more than 80 people have already expressed an interest in buying one of the new Blairgowrie homes.
Wednesday’s meeting heard a string of deputations from objectors.
Speakers included local councillor Caroline Shiers, who said Blairgowrie deserved better.
She said the plans were poorly designed and amounted to overdevelopment of the site.
“My objection is not to the development of this site,” she said.
“It’s just the density.
“It’s cramming houses into a bit of land.”
Ms Shiers said all three local councillors opposed the application.
Fears for Persimmon Homes impact on Blairgowrie flooding and health services
Fellow Blairgowrie councillor Bob Brawn is a member of the planning committee.
However, he excused himself from the debate due to comments he has made previously about the pace of housebuilding in the area.
Objectors suggested they would be satisfied with closer to 60 houses on the land.
They also raised concerns about the impact of so many houses on overstretched health services in Blairgowrie.
And Pete Richardson, from Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Council, pointed to flooding concerns.
“This is a known flooding area,” he said.
There were more than 90 objections to the scheme in total.
However, Persimmon Homes representatives insisted they were proposing a “high quality” development for Blairgowrie.
A spokesman told the committee 82 people have already expressed an interest in purchasing a property on the estate, before planning permission or marketing.
And he said the housebuilder had acted on community feedback by reducing the number of homes.
Blair plans judged ‘low to medium-density’
Asked about the claims of overdevelopment, the council’s building standards and development management service manager Kristian Smith said: “From my experience, this is low to medium density on the periphery of an established town.”
He told councillors: “It’s really important that we have efficient use of land to avoid other greenfield areas being the only way of delivering Perth and Kinross’ housing needs.
“There is an announced housing emergency in Scotland.”
The application went to a vote.
And councillors agreed by six votes to four to grant planning permission, subject to conditions.
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