Developers behind a controversial housing plan for Perth that has been mooted for more than 20 years claim work could begin on site next year.
Three separate legal teams are working together to conclude a planning agreement for Almond Valley that will see 1,300 homes built on land located between Huntingtowerfield and Ruthvenfield, along with a primary school and leisure facilities.
Almond Valley has had a chequered history, including a drawn-out planning process which has seen a public inquiry and a Court of Session hearing. Perth and Kinross Council rejected the plan in 2004 and 2011, and then removed it from the local development plan in January 2012.
However, matters took a dramatic twist in October 2013, when the Scottish Government stated Almond Valley should be incorporated into the council’s adopted local plan.
In May last year, the local authority again rejected the plan but an appeal to the Scottish Government by developers, the Pilkington Trust, was successful.
Alastair Wood, head of planning with Savills, acting on behalf of the Pilkington Trust, said he feels there is a “pent-up demand” for housing in Perth.
“We’d hope work will start sometime next year,” he said.
“The Cross Tay Link Road project has already begun so that will alleviate traffic for Almond Valley. We’ve brought forward plans for screening and the site will be built in phases so it will not feel like a building site.”
He continued: “Hopefully it will be the type of development that will attract people who want to buy a house in Perth – that will dictate the density of the site. The lack of development in Perth means there is a pent-up demand for housing.
“We’re required to deliver 25% affordable housing on the site so it won’t just be for private sale – there will be a range of housing types and tenures, accessible to as wide a range of the local population as possible.
“It should be seen as an exciting thing. It’s been resisted by local residents for a number of years but now it’s going ahead I think we should all work together to make the best success of it as possible.”
He explained why there has been another extension granted until June 19 to sort out the planning agreement.
“The section 75 is 650 pages along and by its very nature is a complex document so everyone wants to get it right,” he added.
“There are three sets of solicitors involved representing the Pilkington Trust, Stewart Milne Homes and Perth and Kinross Council so it takes a lot of time to pass around updated drafts. We’re literally dotting the final ‘i’s’ and crossing the‘t’s.’
“If the Scottish Government Reporter is satisfied she will then proceed to issue the planning permission. Once we have the consent in place, we will start to look at bringing forward the new updated master plan, which will highlight a host of further details in terms of landscaping, planting, access parking and street layout.
“It’ll be up to the council to determine it but I would hope we wouldn’t need to go back to committee stage.”
