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Evanton 'sustainable extension' could see 160 new homes built


By SPP Reporter

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Evanton
Evanton

A PROPOSAL that could see the population of an Easter Ross village increase by 20 per cent over a six-year period has been lodged with planners.

The development at Culcairn has been dubbed a “sustainable extension to Evanton” by applicant MAKAR Ltd, which first expressed an interest in the site 12 years ago on behalf of landowner, Novar Estate.

The mixed use development on a 12.3 hectare site on the eastern edge of the village envisages 160 houses catering for a population of up to 400 people. Business and community use is also allowed for.

A pre-application consultation in December last year at the Diamond Jubilee Hall in Evanton invited interested parties to flag concerns and offer suggestions.

Points raised included concern that the local primary school might struggle to cope with the population growth and fears about historic flooding on parts of the site.

A “significant number” of concerns were also expressed “about what some people regard as the poor bus service serving Evanton and the need to reopen a railway station in the village”.

When people were asked what they didn’t like about Evanton “all of the comments made related to poor public transport”, background papers lodged with the plans state.

MAKAR says concerns over population growth should take account of the likelihood of the development being phased over 10 years. And it insists it has undertaken flood assessment work. It notes too that an increase in population is likely to “enhance the potential economic vialbility of public transport”.

A retail assessment with the plans says Evanton has “suffered a substantial decline in local retail and other service provision over the past 40 years in line with the experience of many villages and small towns in Scotland”.

Facilities lost in that period include shops, garage and a fish and chip shop. It says “trends continue to put pressure on the financial viability of retail outlets in small settlements”.

The report says an increase in population is likely to increase the viability of its only convenience store, a Co-op shop, and may provide opportunities for new retail developments in Evanton.

It suggests the viability of other existing retail and commercial operations - including a hairdresser, community cafe, post office and hotels - would all be potentially increased if the Culcairn scheme goes ahead.

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