PROPOSALS for a horse racing track on the Bannockburn battlefield have been thrown out by SNP ministers.
The decision comes despite a Scottish Government reporter having recommended that the plans for the trotting track be approved.
A decision statement published by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) said: “The reporter recommended that planning permission should be granted subject to conditions.
“The Scottish ministers have carefully considered all of the evidence presented and the reporter’s findings and conclusions in the report.
“The Scottish ministers disagree with the reporter’s recommendation, as explained in this decision letter, and refuse planning permission for the proposed development.”
The site is where in June 1314 Robert the Bruce and his Scottish army famously defeated English troops led by King Edward II.
Ministers argued the site lies in one of the last undeveloped areas of the battlefield, with important landscape features that contribute to public understanding of the 1314 conflict.
They also found the proposed facility – including a racetrack, bar, and takeaway outlet – would introduce urbanisation that harms views from the battlefield’s rotunda and disrupts the visitor experience.
While the ministers acknowledged the need for a permanent venue to support harness racing in Scotland, they said the anticipated benefits did not outweigh the cultural and environmental harms.
They also dismissed claims that the visual and noise impacts would be limited to race days.
The decision comes after activists and heritage groups including the National Trust for Scotland called on the Government to intervene and stop the development, which had been approved by Stirling Council.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) warned it could seek a judicial review of the decision if the application was not refused by the Government.
"Ministers' conclusions closely accord with our stated views that this development was simply in the wrong place and would have badly impacted upon the setting of the battlefield.
“We hope that this decision brings this matter to an end and that the developer withdraws to a new site elsewhere that will not impinge on places of historical importance.
“We would like to express our gratitude to Scottish ministers for their decision and to thank all the members of the local community, as well as the many supporters of the National Trust for Scotland worldwide, who campaigned against this unwanted application.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson confirmed: “Scottish ministers have refused planning permission for a golf driving range and trotting track within the Bannockburn battlefield.”
