Contentious plans to locate a burger van in a Perthshire village have divided opinion, Perth and Kinross Local Review Body will hear.
The proposal to have a van selling takeaway food at a site in Stirling Street, Blackford, was knocked back by Perth and Kinross Council in May, mainly due to it not being in accordance with the local authority’s development plan.
However, some neighbouring residents claim the van’s proprietors have been operating since May. Several Blackford householders have written to the council to express their views on the burger van, with opinion divided.
In a detailed letter, Dr Alison Brown lists several arguments against granting approval of the plan. “The proposal does not meet a specific need by virtue of its quality or location. There are other premises within the village that provide hot and cold food to take away.
“The proposal will detrimentally impact on the amenity of adjacent residential property. We are already suffering from the additional noise generated by the proprietors and their customers early in the morning and the constant, nauseating smell of fast food cooking.”
The letter continues: “Stirling Street can’t safely accommodate the nature and volume of the traffic generated by the proposed development. This part of Stirling Street is very busy, as it is used by articulated vehicles going to and from Highland Spring and parents dropping off and picking up children from Blackford Primary School, in addition to vehicular traffic from people living on Stirling Street.”
Katharine Huggett’s letter of objection states: “I do not believe this is a suitable area at all for this type of trade as the burger van can open almost at the school gate and is within 40 metres of a factory access road.”
Bob Watkinson wrote to the council in support of the plan. “Since the closure of a ‘dedicated’ takeaway food outlet further up the road, this van provides much-needed choice for the villagers and Highland Spring employees.”
James McFarlane states: “Any time I have been to the burger van, the van looks spotless.”