Plans that could bring 400 homes to Carnoustie over the next decade have been put on public display.
Robertson Homes are planning to submit a planning application in principle to Angus Council later this year to develop a 22-hectare site to the north of the town.
The masterplan shows the site could contain 250 family homes, 150 affordable homes, an extension to the cemetery, road improvements and open space.
The site, which is currently accessed from Shanwell and Pitskelly Roads which also serve Shanwell Cemetery, is currently identified as countryside in the Angus Local Development Plan.
A public exhibition opened at Carnoustie Golf Hotel on Tuesday.
Planning consultant Stuart Szylak, of Rick Finc Associates, said: “The event is to allow people to come and see the emerging proposals and make a comment.
“We are hoping to make a planning application in the autumn, that’s with a good wind behind us. There are a number of surveys that need to be done.
“We will apply for planning permission in principle for the whole site. We will then put in a number of other planning applications with the detail.”
Mr Szylak said Angus Council had identified a need to extend the cemetery and that the proposal would provide the land for the local authority to do this.
Responding to local concerns that the woodland trail at Pitskelly would be affected by the development, he said they were not part of the development site.
He said the school catchment for the homes would be Burnside Primary and Carnoustie High School.
“Our current understanding is that there is capacity at these schools for an increase in population in Carnoustie,” he added.
“If there wasn’t capacity the local authority have the ability to ask the developer for contributions that would go to upgrading, extending, enhancing if required. There’s a route through the planning process where we can deal with that.
“We understand that there’s only one GP practice in the town and it has 13,000 people on its list.
“What we could potentially do is provide a space or building for some sort of medical facility. That’s all up for debate.”
If the planning process goes smoothly work on the site could potentially start by the end of next year. Building all the homes could take up to 10 years.
Carnoustie Councillor David Cheape said he had a number of concerns about the plans including the land being prime agricultural land, the majority of which was not allocated in the Angus local development plan for housing.
He added: “Building on this land would have an unacceptable impact on the natural environment, surrounding amenities particularly at the cemetery.
“There is currently sufficient housing land in South Angus to meet the 10-year housing land requirement.
“The impact of the development will be negative on education and GP facilities within Carnoustie.”
