Long-awaited development of Carnoustie’s former Taymouth Works has been given the green light in a project which will deliver more than 80 new homes for the links town.
Angus development standards committee councillors unanimously followed the conditional approval recommendation for the Ogilvie Homes plan at 2.1 hectare the Anderson Street site to create 42 houses and 42 flats there.
The properties will be built in a range of detached, semi-detached and terraced configurations of two bedroom flats and three/four bed homes.
Planning officials said the homes would bring an improvement to the area and the loss of the industrial site would be compensated for by the recent allocation of 15 hectares of employment land to the north east of the town.
But early concerns have emerged over the possible squeeze on Carnoustie’s classrooms and local councillor Bill Bowles said that although a significant education contribution had been secured he was concerned the closest primary would not be able to accommodate a large influx of youngsters.
Mr Bowles said: “I’m delighted to see this get the go-ahead.
“The sites at the old cement works and foundry have been vacant for more years than I care to remember and I think this will meet the desire to fill brownfield sites and get industry to the outside of the town where we can.”
Mr Bowles raised the issue of the potential future impact on the Burnside primary school roll.
The application report said Carnoustie High has sufficient capacity to take youngsters from the development but the town primaries are at over 80% capacity and the uplift in pupil numbers generated by this and other developments would likely require school extensions.
A £5,750-per-house educational contribution is part of the approval, but Mr Bowles said he was concerned there are no firm plans in place to extend nearby Burnside primary and would be worried if that could not be done leaving the possibility of a redrawing of Carnoustie catchment boundaries to bring Carlogie primary into the equation.
He also raised the safety aspect of stray golf balls from the town’s Burnside course, saying that had been a problem in other streets including the Tiger Beach area where cars had been hit by wayward shots.
The committee heard that neither the golf links or planning officials had flagged up the matter and it was therefore not considered to be a concern.