Plans to build a major housing development on the northern outskirts of Dundee have met strong opposition from a number of residents.
Concerned householders in Burnside of Duntrune have hit out at the proposals to build around 150 houses at nearby Ballumbie Castle Estate, claiming the development will “swallow” the character of their village.
They claim the additional volume of traffic created by the homes would overwhelm the narrow rural roads and cause major safety issues for those living in the community.
It is also feared the primary school would suffer from knock-on effects due to a potential surge in pupil numbers.
Stewart Milne Group is proposing to create around 150 houses, upgrade the existing 18-hole golf course and create a nine-hole course.
Before lodging a formal planning application with the local authority, the developer is consulting the community.
More than 150 people from the surrounding area attended an informal showcase event at the Ballumbie Castle Golf Clubhouse last week, where residents got the chance to view the plans and discuss their views.
However several residents from Burnside of Duntrune, which sits opposite the site of the proposed development, claimed most people in the village and the surrounding areas were against the plans.
One householder said, “I think everyone feels it would just swallow up the character of the village totally.
“People have come here to live for a reason and if these homes are built it would take away so much of the village.
“We were opposed to it, but particularly when we saw the plans for ourselves.”
Another said, “These are rural roads. They are not built for a huge volume of traffic that these houses would inevitably bring.
“The proposals that we saw had the main access road from the development coming out into the heart of the village.
“We already have no pavement here and we have buses and school buses going past on narrow roads, as well as people running and cycling, so I think more traffic would just be an accident waiting to happen.
“The roads are bad at the moment, I would really fear for people’s safety. Bringing so many cars into a village with only 20 houses just isn’t compatible.”
One neighbour told The Courier residents were trying to set up a community meeting to discuss the issue.
She added, “I have not spoken to one person who is in favour of the plans.”
No one from the Stewart Milne Group was available for comment.