AN APPEAL which is looking into Angus Council’s decision to throw out plans for a multi-million pound visitor centre in Edzell has taken its first step towards a decision.

The applicant and local authority have now submitted their cases for and against the proposal to build the centre, garden centre and shopping facilities on the disused mart site in Lethnot Road.

Scottish Government officers are now expected to visit the mart for a site inspection before making a final decision.

The applicant, Edzell man Alan Spence, launched his appeal earlier this year when the council’s planning committee unanimously blocked the plans—despite wide-support from people living in and around the village.

Council planners objected to the loss of woodland on the brown-field site and the scale of the development, which was felt to be out of keeping for a small village.

In his submission to the appeals panel, Mr Spence argues that his plans have strong local support, would have minimal impact on nearby woodland and that there would be little to no impact on existing businesses.

His submission states, “Support has been well received from other traders and businesses in the village and only four objections were received in total.

“The development will create significant employment opportunities for the community (strong support was also received from the council’s head of economic development), redevelop a long-standing brown-field site and no other sites have been identified in the village.”

He also argues that, “a retail assessment submitted in support of the application includes a detailed assessment of all other alternative sites within Edzell, Brechin and Montrose.

However, Angus Council hotly disputes the evidence submitted by Mr Spence and his team to back their case.

The authority’s planners argue that the centre’s anticipated tourist trade is over-estimated and they question the assertion that there are no other suitable sites for the proposals.

“It is respectfully suggested that the assessment contained within the retail statement submitted in support can by no measure be considered detailed,” said a council officer. “A site outwith a town centre but within the development boundary of one of the Angus towns would be more compatible…than a site on the edge of a village.

“The suggestion that there are no sites in Montrose or Brechin that could accommodate a development of this scale does not stand up to scrutiny and this is apparent from a simple examination of the local plan maps for the two towns.”

The officer adds that a previous decision letter, “brings into question the assumptions used by the applicants in their retail statement, in particular the ability of the proposal to attract the level of tourist expenditure estimated.

“Notwithstanding this my council does not accept that there is a proven public interest for the development or that social, economic or environmental considerations confirm an over-riding need for the development outwith and adjacent to the development boundary,” the officer adds.

The council submission also criticises the felling of trees on the site.