Plan for up to 50 new homes in Westerwood is thrown out without any debate taking place

Ogilvie Homes had applied for permission in principle to construct up to 50 new dwellings of varying types on a cleared commercial forestry site at St Andrews Drive .

This application attracted 108 representations, including from Councillor Alan Masterton and Westerwood Community Council, and objectors cited a wide range of concerns – many of which were on environmental grounds.

Residents had objected to tree-felling on the part of the developer at the site in a move which had led to an angry public protest last year. There was further fury too when the firm removed ‘Save The Trees’ banners Westerwood Community Council had been at pains to erect in the neighbourhood.

The report submitted for consideration also recommended refusing the application, stating “The proposed development is considered to constitute an inappropriate and unjustified loss of a community facility.

“No planning policy justification or other material consideration that would outweigh the provision of the Development Plan which seeks to safeguard community facilities from development was submitted.

“The applicant has not provided adequate information to allow a full assessment of industrial noise impact.

"As such, it has not been demonstrated that the proposed residential development can be satisfactorily mitigated from industrial noise to ensure that an acceptable level of residential amenity can be achieved.

“Additionally, it has also not been demonstrated that to allow housing to be developed on this site would not have an adverse impact on the ability of the neighbouring industrial premises to continue to operate in its current form.

"The site is currently the subject of a Restock Direction notice. And as such, approval of this application will bring the permission into conflict with the landowner’s legal requirement to restock the site in accordance with Scottish Forestry Restock Direction notice.”

The committee unanimously refused the application without debate.