The decision to reject a proposal to build 150 new homes in Broughty Ferry will scare companies from investing in Dundee, it has been claimed.
In an unprecedented attack on Dundee City councillors, house builders Kirkwood Homes said the decision not to approve their plans for Balgillo Heights could drive investors from the city towards neighbouring local authorities instead.
Dundee City Council’s planning committee voted 12 to nine against the plans on Monday, despite officers recommending them for approval.
The site has been earmarked for development in the city’s new development plan due to come into effect in December, although it is still to be ratified by the Scottish Government.
Although committee convener Will Dawson put forward a motion to approve Kirkwood’s proposal, Conservative Broughty Ferry councillor Derek Scott’s amendment to refuse the plans won the vote.
Kirkwood Homes’ managing director Colin Crombie, said: “Dundee is quite rightly setting out ambitious growth targets as it looks to capitalise on the investment brought about by the V&A development.
“Unless elected members fully buy into this, Dundee will fail to attract further investment and it will fail to deliver new quality housing for the people of Dundee for which there is a clear demand – with over 550 registering an interest in our site alone.
“I challenge the councillors to show the development industry that they share a vision of growth for Dundee, a vision that puts new homes and economic benefit at its heart and doesn’t fall back onto to party politics and point scoring on the behalf of constituents, with councillors representing the whole of the community and not just the vocal minority who oppose any form of development or investment.
“The failure to grasp the opportunity that the V&A project has brought will result in adjoining local authorities benefiting from development and future job creation on the city boundaries, as is already evident in Monifieth.”
Mr Crombie said councillors had already endorsed developing the site when they gave their backing to its inclusion on the new Local Development Plan.
He claimed the decision ran contrary to a recent agreement between Dundee City Council and homes for Scotland over the need to build more new homes in Dundee.
Mr Scott’s amendment cited a number of concerns about the impact of the new houses on infrastructure in addition to the new Local Development Plan not yet being in place.
These included concerns about traffic and access to amenities such as primary schools and GP surgeries.
Mr Crombie said these issues had already been addressed when the local authority was agreeing the new Local Development Plan.
He said his company is likely to appeal the planning committee’s decision given the “strong recommendation for approval” presented by council officers.
Broughty Ferry Liberal Democrat councillor Craig Duncan, who seconded Mr Scott’s amendment, said the application had to be considered under the terms of the current Local Development Plan, rather than the one likely to come into force at the end of the year.
He said: “Local Authorities have planning rules and regulations for very good reasons. Allowing such a flagrant breach of the Local Development Plan in the absence of any compelling reason, would set a dangerous precedent.
“Approval would have sent the wrong message as any such application must meet the council’s standards and within a timeframe already set be the council and not before.
“Approval would have been tantamount to sanctioning the driving of a coach and horses through the councils own previously agreed policies”.
