Alness poised for 99-home development that would trigger payments to help school and leisure centre
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Almost 100 new homes look set to be built on the edge of Alness after planners recommended them for approval ahead of a crunch council vote.
Pat Muno (Alness) Ltd is seeking to erect 99 homes and flats on land to the east of Obsdale Primary's playing field at Milnafua.
If approved by Highland Council's north planning applications committee on March 5, the new housing estate will be entered via two accesses from Birch Road – and would comprise a mix of two, three, four and five bedroom houses, two and three bedroom flats in blocks, and four two-bedroom cottage flats.
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The site, which is currently former farm land, has a long history of potential housing development, having originally secured planning permission as part of a wider 148 home estate back in 1973 under the then Ross and Cromarty Council.
Previously completed phases of that wider development already sit to the north and north-west of the fresh proposals.
Two objections were received from the public over the plans, which cited concerns about possible over-development of the site, the impact of the plans on local roads and the lack of alternative transport beyond private cars.
Worries were also raised over the possible impact of the new housing and increased population on the local school system.
The council's transport planning team initially also objected to the proposals, but withdrew this "subject to conditions to secure off-site road improvements as well as further conditions regarding cycle provision, waste management, and construction traffic management".
Elsewhere, the forestry officer also initially objected to the proposals "on the basis of pre emptive forestry clearance on site", with the report set to go before councillors noting that "pre-emptive clearance works... had removed much of the existing tree cover" and added that such removal was "disappointing".
However, planners also said that "on submission of further documents detailing the scope of the extant permission on site, alongside a tree protection plan for those which do remain, this objection was withdrawn."
They also noted a number of measures to boost "biodiversity enhancement" in and around the estate, and that the remaining trees will be protected during construction of the homes.
Addressing the public's objections, the planners meanwhile said: "The concerns raised in the representations regarding road safety and capacity, and non-car access are noted. The Transport Planning Team have withdrawn their initial objections to the proposals, based on further information submitted by the applicant.
"During the consultation process, the Transport Planning Team approached the council’s Active Travel Team who have asked that a raised road junction table with crossing points be formed at the junction of Birch Road and Rowan Drive, within the wider development to the west of the current site.
"This can be secured via condition. Detailed cycle parking arrangements for the flatted blocks will also be secured via condition and it is otherwise considered that suitable active travel opportunities exist, connecting the development into the local network of facilities."
The report also noted plans to install ten electric vehicle charge points for communal use within the parking area next to the blocks of flats.
If approved the estate will also receive landscaping and a space will be set aside in the south of the land for use as a play park.
Planners noted that parts of the site are at "medium risk" of surface water flooding, in part due to those area's proximity to the Achnagarron Burn, which runs next to the eastern boundary of the proposed estate.
However, they add that the "wider site is not generally designated as at risk of flooding" and that the council's flood management team and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency are satisfied with the application "subject to conditions" that include "an adequate buffer zone from the Achnagarron Burn to the east".
Finally, the planners flagged up measures to offset increased pressures on existing school and leisure infrastructure, with developers being required to pay towards potential classroom extension work at Obsdale Primary, and also pay more than £1000 per new home towards "delivery of expanded facilities" at the Averon Leisure Centre.
Only seven of the new homes will be designated as affordable, as the existing 1973 planning permission covers 73 of the 99 proposed units – meaning that the usual 25 per cent affordable housing ratio on new estates only applies to the remaining 26 proposed homes.
Recommending approval, the planners said: "It is accepted that a residential development of the scale proposed, can be accommodated satisfactorily on the site.
