Perthshire’s biggest village is going to the polls over a controversial new housing plan.
Around 2,500 residents in Scone are being quizzed about proposals to build around 700 homes on the edge of the village.
Community councillors want to gauge local reaction to the scheme, which is earmarked for farmland between Spoutswell Drive and Angus Road.
Developers A&J Stephen are expected to submit a planning application in the coming weeks.
Martin Rhodes, who is part of the community council’s study group, said there had been a good response to the questionnaire so far. “We’ve tried to cover all of the houses in Scone, slightly more than 2,500,” he said.
“All the leaflets have been hand delivered.”
He said: “So far, the response has been excellent. The final day for returning the questionnaire is August 1 and residents have been urged to take five-minutes to fill it in and return it to boxes at the Spar, Post Office, library or Co-op.”
Councillor Lewis Simpson, who runs the village post office, said: “They seem to have had a good response.
“I haven’t been asking people how they are voting, but a lot of people have volunteered to me that they are dead against this development.
“There seems to be overwhelming opposition to this.”
Objectors claim that the new housing could lead to a huge increase in traffic and could cause major pollution problems.
Originally, it was ruled that the majority of the development could not go ahead until the much heralded Cross Tay Link Road – connecting the village with the A9 at Luncarty – was completed.
Mr Simpson said he was concerned that the link road’s status was changed to an official “committed project” at last month’s budget talks.
The study group has initially asked Perth and Kinross Council to carry out the survey, but was told it was “not appropriate” before the official plans had been submitted.
Group members raised £300 through a coffee morning to pay for printing costs.
A similar poll was carried out by the local authority when the housing plan was first raised in 2007. The study group said the proposal was rejected by 80% after a large return.
