New housing proposals tabled for Ross-shire village of Conon Bridge
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A ROSS-SHIRE village looks set for further expansion with two sizeable housing developments being considered by Highland Council.
The larger application for 28 homes is for the Schoolhouse Belt site on the southern edge of Conon Bridge, from Tulloch Homes Ltd.
The other is for 16 council houses next to the former Drouthy Duck bar in the centre of the village.
The Schoolhouse Belt site was previously granted planning permission for Aviemore & Highland Developments Ltd in 2008.
The new application proposes 21 high-end homes plus seven affordable houses. A wildlife report reveals an active red kite nest in the vicinity and it is recommended its protection be a planning condition.
The development will include a number of “high quality house types” with the layout predominantly four-bedroom family homes to meet demand.
A design statement says: “There are a number of valuable amenities within easy reach of the site, including Conon Bridge town centre, railway station, Ben Wyvis Primary School and a number of retail facilities, all within walking distance.
“The site also benefits from good overall transport links and is only a short commute to Dingwall and Inverness.”
It adds: “To take advantage of this unique woodland setting, high quality house types are proposed, with the housing density matching the previous planning consent. Larger houses within a more generous plot size are considered to be more appropriate for this setting.”
Colin Armstrong Architects has been appointed to design and deliver the Drouthy Duck housing. The site is allocated in the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan as being suitable for retail, but adds that previous applications have been approved for housing.
Existing young and semi-mature trees surrounding the site will be incorporated into the proposals and a flood defence scheme has been approved and works have started for the area.
The site extends to just over four-fifths of a hectare and comprises the site of the Drouthy Duck public house which has been disused for approximately 11 years, its car park and adjacent land including a former paddock area to the rear, and the flood protection embankment to the west which runs parallel to the river.
It excludes the former pub building, which is now split into flats.
The site has young to semi-mature trees with scattered trees along the river bank.
Within walking distance there are multiple bus stops with routes connecting to surrounding villages, towns and Inverness.
Conon Bridge also has an active rail platform which connects to Inverness.
