Montrose is to get its first new council homes for 30 years as part of a double Angus social housing boost.
The Dungman’s Tack project at Wishart Gardens is now set for the go-ahead and will see 45 homes built on open brownfield land and the site of the former Wirren House residential care home, once its role as a decant leisure centre during the construction of the new town swimming pool is complete.
Along with another five homes on the former mortar holes garages site off Lindsay Street in Kirriemuir, the 50-house boost for the district has been hailed by councillors.
The Montrose site will be developed in two phases the first 29 houses on land nearest to Rose Hill, with a second tranche of 16 homes on the site currently occupied by Wirren House.
The development will comprise 17 two-bedroom, 18 three-bedroom and ten four-bedroom homes, all semi-detached or in terraces of three and predominantly two storeys in height.
Heating for the scheme will come from a gas and biomass powered district boiler house scheme. The boiler house and fuel store will be on a separate site to the north of Broomfield Road and in the industrial estate.
The council says similar heating scheme already operate in Angus.
Development standards councillors were faced with several local objections to the plan, which was recommended for approval by Angus infrastructure services chief Eric Lowson.
Concerns raised included traffic issues, loss of parking, amenity and privacy.
One objector claimed that long-standing tenants of cottages at Rosehill Road had indicated they would move out if the development went ahead, believing their privacy would be “totally destroyed”.
In his report, Mr Lowson said: “I consider that the provision of housing on a site that has previously not contained houses is going to have some impact on the amenity of existing properties.”
But the director added he was satisfied that while neighbours’ privacy will be reduced it would “not be to a level that would justify refusal of the application.”
“The proposed development will provide a substantial number of new affordable dwellings on a vacant and partially brownfield site. Whilst I note matters raised by third parties I do not consider that the matter raised justify refusal of the application.”
The Kirrie scheme will see three two-storey homes and a pair of single storey semi-detached houses built at the entrance to a separately owned site, which already has approval for 70 homes.
“The development will provide for new affordable housing within a development boundary … and facilitate redevelopment of an area that until recently was occupied by lock-up garages of no design or townscape quality,” said the director.
Council leader Bob Myles described the Dungman’s Tack scheme as a major boost for Montrose, adding: “This is an imaginative scheme in an area that is urban but not in use for housing at the moment.
“I am particularly pleased with the use of the remote heating system and think that is the way we should be going in the future.”
Committee convener David Lumgair said the combined total would help ease the Angus social housing gap.
“There is a great desire for affordable houses and I am very happy to see 45 in Montrose and the smaller development in Kirrie come about.”