A plot of land in Kinross remains earmarked for housing by the council, despite almost unanimous calls against its development.
The area to the east of the town, bounded by Gallowhill Road, Springfield Road and the M90, has been included in the proposed local development plan despite a long-running fight to have it removed.
The plan, which will inform land use in Perth and Kinross for the foreseeable future, will now be submitted to Scottish Government planning reporters. Councillors were told at a meeting that significant changes now would set the creation of the plan ongoing since 2009 back by up to two years.
With concerns about access through Davis Park and the effect on already traffic-choked streets, residents have united against the stretch of land being included as a potential site for 125 new homes.
An action group set up to oppose the plan was denied permission to speak at the crucial meeting, but local councillor, Willie Robertson, made their feelings clear.
He said: “This inclusion is opposed by the local community and community council.
“The main reasons are that the access to the site can only be gained by compromising Davis Park and the paths that feed into it. There are serious traffic congestion problems at the Springfield Road and Station Road areas and this would exacerbate them.
“I know there will be those who say let the reporter decide, but I say let’s not take the chance. We must not give up our democratic right to modify the plans if we wish.”
Because of the potential delay that removing the site would cause, Mr Robertson’s motion was opposed by council leader Ian Miller.
He said: “I’m acutely aware of local concerns that surround this site but to take it out (of the proposed plan) today would mean we need to go back to square one of the whole process.
“Instead, we should be recommending to the planning reporters that the site is probably not needed and leave it to them to do the necessary.”
A subsequent suggestion that such a recommendation be made was taken up by councillors.
It is expected that the former Kinross High School site will be used for housing and make up any shortfall caused by the disputed zone’s removal from the plan.
The local development plan also contains major infrastructure projects like new schools, road junctions and the proposed third road crossing of the River Tay, north of Perth.
Despite calls for developers to ditch it, councillors retained a moratorium on large-scale housing projects along the Cross Tay Road Link “corridor” until the project is set in stone.
Clive Price, chairman of Scone and District Community Council, said the constraint is needed.
He said: “If developers are allowed to drip feed more and more homes into the area to the east of the two existing bridges over the Tay, Bridgend and parts of Perth will, without doubt, be facing gridlock.”