The greatest northern housing expansion of Forfar for a generation was rubber-stamped by councillors with approval for 300 new homes.
A near 18-hectare site between existing housing at Turfbeg and the Kirriemuir Road will now be the subject of detailed design work by local firm Elite Homes after Angus development standards committee councillors unanimously backed the conditional approval recommendation of planning officials.
The applicants hope to be on site within a year and suggested to councillors the phased building project could be complete within five years.
Forfar community council had lodged an objection in respect of a right of way through the site being used as a vehicular access and residents addressed Tuesday’s committee with concerns including the scale of the development.
Detailed drainage proposals have also been included as a condition of the approval and the authority will be seeking a company contribution towards education provision.
The committee report indicated primary and secondary schools in the area will require to be extended to accommodate the anticipated number of children from this and other developments.
The site bounds Forfar Academy community campus, where a new secondary school and associated facilities are under instruction.
Elite Homes representative Karen Clark said the site had been promoted for housing by the firm for well over a decade, was identified by the authority as being safeguarded for 300 homes beyond 2011 and had been examined by a reporter as part of the inquiry process into the Angus local plan. She said it was “essential for the prosperity of the area” that a continuing supply of housing land is provided.