Controversial housing plan approved

RUN-down farm buildings in Tynron will be replaced with four new houses after Dumfries and Galloway Council approved an “unusual” planning case last week.

Permission has been given for the demolition of the condemned agricultural buildings at Lannhall, which were previously used as poultry sheds.

Developers P & J Tolley submitted a planning application to knock down the derelict buildings and construct a terrace of four houses on the original footprint.

However, Tynron Community Council and 11 local residents opposed the plans, citing concerns around traffic, roads, flooding, drainage, visual impact and scale, noise, light pollution, and buildings use.

As part of a lengthy four-page submission to the planning department, the community council wrote: “Residents have raised concerns regarding the visual impact of the proposed development, particularly its scale and elevated location above the village.

“The development is clearly visible from the Main Street in Tynron, from Kirkland and from the bridge over the Shinnel, all of which are situated within the conservation area and category B listed.”

Development in the countryside is usually blocked due to planning regulations, however officials admitted this was an “unusual case”.

The existing poultry building already had permitted development rights, allowing it to be converted into four houses – without the need for formal planning permission.

At the planning committee, chief planner David Suttie explained: “At face value the when I first saw this and saw the recommendation, my immediate question was, ‘why are we considering approval for four new houses in the countryside?’

“And the reason is because it’s a fallback.

“The fact that the applicant can implement something that says ‘permitted development’ is a material consideration of very significant weight. So whether anybody likes it or not, they can go and put four houses on this site.

“Our view is that, ‘okay we don’t think the design of what they can do as permitted development is particularly great’, but it is nonetheless a permitted development.

“What we’ve got before us we think is actually a betterment. So if you’re going to have to have four houses in that location, surely it’s better to have ones that actually look better and more appropriate in that rural location.”

On these grounds, councillors approved the application.