By Graham Brown

AMBITIOUS PLANS for a visitor centre development in the Angus village of Edzell have been blocked by planners.

A pair of local businessmen had hoped to breathe new life into the former auction mart site at Lethnot Road with a complex including a garden shop and restaurant.

But despite support from the local community council and a promise that the scheme would inject new economic prosperity into the village, Angus development standards councillors have vetoed the plan.

The planned location takes in the former auction mart site and a piece of woodland adjacent to Edzell Muir.

Businessman Brian Waller, one of the men behind the plan, told the Forfar committee he had lived in the village almost all his life and the scheme was given broad support at a public meeting last year.

“This is a tourism development and we are extremely keen that it will benefit the village,” said Mr Waller.

“We want to see rural jobs, economic development and tourist footfall into the area,” he added.

Planning officials had recommended refusal of the application on the grounds that it breached council policy in relation to the retail element, failed to meet parking standards and required to take service access through a public park.

They were also concerned about the impact on the adjacent woodland, covered by a tree preservation order.

Committee convener Councillor David Lumgair said he had made two visits to the village to examine the location before deciding he could not support the scheme as it stands.

“I have looked at this site and whilst I feel that Edzell is well located to accommodate a visitor centre, the proposed development is essentially for a retail development,” he said.

“A tourist facility on the former auction mart site that did not impact upon the area of open space or the tree preservation order, and included supporting facilities such as a garden centre, some retail and a restaurant, could attract my support.”

Committee member Ralph Palmer added, “I agree with the officers; we are trying to protect the woodland from damage and this is a retail development in my opinion, contrary to policy. It is very thinly disguised as a tourist attraction, it’s no more than a glorified retail park, that’s my perception.”