A rowing club’s bid for a base on the banks of the River Tay has been supported by planners, despite opposition from locals.
The clubhouse is earmarked for land at Sleepless Inch, Rhynd, downstream of Friarton Bridge.
Tay Rowing Club, which was formed in 2015 by a group of Perth residents and former Dundee University students, want to build a two-storey HQ with meeting rooms and changing areas. They also plan to resurface an old slipway to make it suitable for modern vessels.
But the project has upset people living nearby, who have raised concerns about its impact on roads.
A petition of 18 signatures – said to represent every household leading to the site from Rhynd Road – was presented to Perth and Kinross Council by Dr Colin Norton.
He said the main access route to the site is private and used by traffic from nearby sewage works.
“It is a single track road and not for public use,” he said. “While the applicants suggest walking and cycling to the site, this road should not be used for that purpose as it has not been used to facilitate traffic other than heavy commercial.”
However, the scheme has been backed by planning chiefs who will recommend members of the council’s development management committee approve it at next week’s meeting.
Interim development quality manager Anne Condliffe said in her report: “Given the extent of objections on roads access and road safety grounds, transport planning officers were asked to review the application again.
“Their stance remains unaltered, no objection is offered. Accordingly significant weight is attached to this consultation response and on this basis, in so far as the roads matters are concerned, the proposed development does not conflict with policy.”
In a letter of support, club president Dr John Houston said: “Should we be successful in obtaining planning permission for our proposals, Tay Rowing Club expect to take a responsible and safe approach to the road usage and to pay our fair share of the maintenance costs of the private road which is the only vehicular access to our site.”
It is understood the club has had difficulty tracing the owner of the road to enter into negotiations about maintenance.
Councillors will rule on the plan at their meeting on Wednesday.
