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Community trust celebrates planning breakthrough as Culbokie homes plan gets go-ahead


By Neil MacPhail

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Culbokie Community Trust chair Richard Fyfe and director Penny Edwards.
Culbokie Community Trust chair Richard Fyfe and director Penny Edwards.

THE fast-growing village of Culbokie on the Black Isle is celebrating after planners backed a major housing plan that will kickstart a community development alongside a new village green.

Culbokie Community Trust want to give the long roadside village a central focus with a new building to include a café and space for small scale community business activities, adjacent to six new low-cost homes.

But the trust's ambitions hinged on them being able to piggyback on a 33-home development (eight affordable) by Tulloch Homes next door which was waiting for final planning consent.

That came at Highland Council's north planning committee when both plans were considered together and passed unanimously.

The Community Trust acquired their land in 2015 under the Community Right To Buy scheme but access created by Tulloch Homes was critical to their plans. Culbokie’s population has risen in recent years to 1000.

Principal planner Simon Hindson said the two plans overlapped in concept, and the trust development now extended right across the frontage of the Tulloch site.

He added: "Tulloch Homes will be delivering the village green and facilities on the community site. With permission in principal it will give the trust time to design the community building and come forward with a design in due course."

Councillors raised some concern about parking at the community facilities with a desire to avoid parking across the entrances to existing homes. Mr Hindson said people using the small scale community facilities would be encouraged to get there by walking or cycling, but there was also scope for using the nearby shop car park outside business hours.

Chairwoman Maxine Smith asked if it would not be better to have access to the community units directly off the main road instead of via a private road then through the 33-house Tulloch estate.

Mr Hindson said: "We did consider this. I appreciate the concerns about the availability of parking, but we are trying to create more of a sense of place." He added there will be signs along the community frontage and further signs indicating the way in.

Black Isle councillor Craig Fraser said: "At present Culbokie has no defined community centre, and this plan would address this problem by giving an identifiable centre. I am quite happy to approve this application."

Cllr Smith said: "Hats off to Tullochs. I like the sympathetic way they have connected the affordable with the other housing."

Cllr Margaret Paterson, Dingwall, said: "I think this is a very good development. Having been brought up on a croft in Culbokie I know how greatly it has extended. It is quite a big village. This is very well laid out although the parking is a wee niggle."

Community Trust chairman Richard Fyfe said: “We are liaising with Cairn Housing and the Highland Small Communities Housing Trust to deliver six low-cost homes on our site.

“We’re delighted to be partnering Tulloch Homes, with whom we’ve a helpful and constructive relationship, to allow a significant step forward for our community.”


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