Planning chiefs say they cannot support a contentious Carse of Gowrie housing plan because it will be too noisy for neighbours.
The proposal to build 66 homes on open fields at Inchture was unveiled at the end of last year.
The project had been scaled back from 74 houses after opposition from local residents. They pointed out the 10-acre site, near Moncur Farm, was zoned for only 16 homes in the council’s adopted masterplan.
Now developers Hadden Construction face having their scheme kicked out by councillors, after falling foul of Perth and Kinross planning officers.
In her report, interim development quality manager Anne Condliffe raises concerns about the impact on neighbours. She has recommended that members of the development management committee refuse planning consent when they discuss the plan on Wednesday.
A noise impact study forecasts levels of 35 decibels – about the volume of a library – inside local homes, but only when their windows are shut. This is regarded as too high by environmental health officers.
Ms Condliffe said locals already put up with noise from an established potato farm on the other side of the plot.
“Due to the noise issues affecting both sides of this site, the proposed layout, situation and dwelling numbers cannot be supported in its current form,” she said.
Planners said Hadden had also failed to produce an ecological assessment, showing the impact on breeding birds and tree loss.
The local community council has also opposed the plan, raising concerns about flooding, housing density and a lack of car parking.
Local Conservative councillor Angus Forbes welcomed the planning officers’ conclusion.
“I was pleasantly surprised to see the planners have recommended this for refusal,” he said. “From the start I have said that the number of houses has been far too high and the layout of the site was not ideal.
“I am sure this will come back again given its now the second proposal for the site but I hope that the number of houses proposed will be reduced significantly.”
Mr Forbes added: “I don’t have any principled objection to house building but it should be the right scale for the community and I am delighted the planners agree with me.”
The scheme was also criticised by rival housebuilder Muir Homes, which argued there was a better, alternative location for housing at Inchture.
