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Highland Council rejects controversial plans for company workshop base on agricultural land just outside Dingwall, Ross-shire


By Scott Maclennan

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PLANS for a highly controversial development just outside Dingwall has been rejected by councillors.

The plans by HRN Tractors Ltd resurfaced as the company, which already has a base in Muir of Ord, sought to build a large workshop for agricultural repairs, servicing and sales. Originally, the company applied to build on land near to the well-known White House residential building between the railway track and the A834 at Pitglassie.

That application was refused by officers in 2016 but, despite all four local ward councillors being against the plan for the workshop, the council’s own planning review body ignored their views and overturned the decision.

Planners recommended the renewal of permission again, despite SEPA and Dingwall Community Council strongly objecting.

Speaking at the north planning application committee, ward councillor Angela Maclean said the review body took a long time to reach a considered decision and that she was in favour, adding: “For me if the Mart hadn’t been there, I might have thought more being against the application. The fact that the review body took a long time to make their decision and came up with the approval.

“Dingwall has been a market town for more than 136 years and the surrounding countryside is covered in farms for miles around – I have heard it said that Dingwall is the centre of the universe and, while some may agree with that, what is not up for debate is that farming comes to Dingwall for the Mart sales.

“Indeed, they are so popular that the cars park up on the side of the road so popular are the sales, so I understand why the applicant wants to be situated opposite the Mart – it makes good business sense.

“With Brexit and now Covid-19, being close to Dingwall auction Mart makes sense, it supports businesses in Dingwall, it is an established successful business which is looking to expand and Dingwall is open for business.”

But fellow ward councillor Margaret Paterson delivered a litany of objection against the proposals, noting that it did demonstrate sensitive siting or high quality design, a SEPA objection, would destroy the peace of nearby residents.

“It is a market town and normally I would welcome a business coming to Dingwall but this is not the right place,” she said.

"When the Mart was built it was next to Pitglassie farm, it didn’t stand alone, and I am really sad that this would result in the loss of good quality agricultural land.

“I took on board the planning history, the planning review body approved it which I thought was the wrong decision – it is a stand alone building which is visually dominating and would be completely out of character in the landscape.

“It would be detrimental to the stunning landscape and wider vista of the firth and the Black Isle, this is open land and it would have a significant visual impact.

“It would impact on the owners of the White House would suffer from a lack of peace and privacy they have enjoyed for years.”

That view was shared by committee chairwoman Cllr Maxine Smith who proposed an amendment to refuse based on the loss of good quality agricultural land and the possibility that the project could lead to a flood of developments, contradicting the council's declaration of a climate emergency. The application was defeated by one vote.

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