A community council has questioned the local authority’s decision to breach its own greenbelt protection policy to allow a massive planned development west of Perth to go ahead.
Perth and Kinross Council planning bosses recommended politicians approve an application to develop land west of Broxden including an area designated as greenbelt earlier this month.
Officials justified the move by saying it would give the John Dewar Lamberkin Trust greater freedom to decide where “essential infrastructure” leading into the new development should be built.
However, the move has alarmed Scone and District Community Council (SDCC) which has objected to the owners of Murrayshall Country House Hotel applying to develop land east of the village which also lies within the greenbelt.
The group says it has reviewed PKC’s greenbelt protection policy and cannot identify any reason planners could use to justify breaching it and letting the owners of Murrayshall build new houses near the hotel.
SDCC has now written to PKC asking staff to clarify why they agreed to let the John Dewar Lamberkin Trust use greenbelt land as far west along the A9 southbound as West Lamberkin Wood to form roads leading into the proposed Perth West site.
The group told PKC in correspondence seen by the PA: “We understand the need to allow ‘essential infrastructure’ to be formed within areas of greenbelt, however, we would dispute that the area required for such infrastructure on [the Perth West] site should ... require the excessive removal of 85 hectares from the greenbelt.
“The application was consented following ... advice provided by council officers to the [planning and development management] committee.
“We would ask for your confirmation that the officers were correct in advising councillors that the full area of greenbelt of 85 hectares was required for ‘essential infrastructure’ purposes and for no other reason whatsoever.”
A PKC spokesperson commented: “The additional land included in [the Perth West] application for planning permission in principle was intended to provide flexibility in routing of essential infrastructure and to ensure there will be no future detailed applications outside the boundary of the land covered by the application.
“Conditions within the granting of planning permission will address the design requirements concerning any junction onto the A9 and prevent any possible non-essential development within the green belt.
“Any approval of physical works would require a further application to be made, and this would be assessed for appropriateness against our planning policy as part of the normal planning process.”
The spokesperson added: “We will respond direct to the correspondence from SDCC in due course.”
