Angus planners say a revised masterplan for nearly 160 new Forfar homes has “significant design failings”.
And their criticism of the Westfield Loan bid leaves leading housebuilder Muir Homes facing an uphill struggle to convince councillors to go against a refusal recommendation for the scheme.
It is the second time the company has tried to secure detailed permission for the site.
The company want to develop farmland beside the A94 Glamis Road heading west out of Forfar.
Previous plan pulled
They withdrew a previous application at the eleventh hour.
More than 50 houses would have required their windows to be kept closed to block out noise from the busy road and Orchardbank industrial estate.
In January the company released a revised layout and expressed confidence it would satisfy planning officials.
The housebuilder said it would offer the “best of both worlds” being close to the town and on the edge of the countryside.
But the council’s environmental health department has lodged an official objection to the application.
They say the new masterplan puts some houses even closer to the A94 and the factories of textile firm Don & Low.
Muir say mitigation measures include putting “acoustic homes” beside the Glamis Road.
Those would have non-habitable rooms facing north.
Officers fear future complaints about noise if the houses are given the go-ahead.
They say: “The council’s environmental health service…remains concerned resultant noise impact is likely to be understated.
“If noise impact is understated, the acceptability of the proposed mitigation cannot be confirmed.
“Complaint may be made about noise, including noise associated with operations and activity at the nearby industrial estate.”
Allocated for residential development
Although the land is zoned for housing, planners are highly critical of the overall concept.
“This proposal has significant design failings,” the refusal recommendation states.
“It would not provide a good living environment for future residents.
“A development of overall poor design quality that does not provide an acceptable residential amenity for future residents is not what development plan policy seeks to deliver.
“The long-term harm which would be associated with the proposal outweighs any benefits of contributing to the local housing land requirement.”
Angus development standards committee will consider the application at a meeting in Forfar on Tuesday.
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