Residents may leave if Kinross proposal is approved

Older people living in Kinross are considering leaving the town to escape the effects of overdevelopment, a resident has claimed.

As the PA went to press yesterday, the local authority was reporting it had received 171 public comments on Persimmon Homes’ latest application concerning its controversial Lathro Meadows development. Of these 156 are listed as objections.

Many of those who have written to the council have raised familiar concerns the company is attempting to squeeze too many properties onto the site as well as fears local schools are filling up with kids and soon won’t be able to accept any more.

Some have pointed out PKC previously said 260 homes could be built on the site but since then, Persimmon Homes has got permission to build 300 and this latest application could see them getting consent to build a total of 386 if it is approved by officials.

But one resident reckons the council has been too willing to accommodate their requests to build more and more homes and went on to claim “the very character of Kinross and Milnathort is being ravaged and changed for the worse” as a result.

He said: “Overdevelopment is destroying the attractiveness of Kinross and Milnathort. Anti-social behaviour by certain elements is reported to be on the rise as a result of phase one (of the overall development).

“I am aware of many people who have enjoyed living in Kinross for years who are now considering leaving the town for elsewhere and in some cases are already actively marketing their property.

“In particular many elderly people, some in their 80’s living on the established Lathro estate that borders the Persimmon development, have been subjected to intense stress and anxiety as a result of ... phase one. They have been robbed of their quality of life and amenity.”

Another typical objection from a local reads: “The original plan was to build 260 houses across the whole site. Persimmon is making a mockery of the whole planning policy.

“Schools and medical practice(s) are already full to the limit. Parking is already a problem ... with many houses owning two cars, phase two will be a nightmare.”

A PKC spokesperson previously told the PA there were “no issues with capacity at Kinross Primary School and no pupils have been refused admission to the school.”

And planners previously said in a report recommending Persimmon Homes last application be approved: “Overall, in terms of residential amenity the proposal complies with LDP Policy PM1 as the design and siting respects the character and amenity of the surrounding properties.”