Woodland hut plan refused

PLANS to build a small timber hut in a woodland near Moniaive have been refused after planning chiefs ruled it would damage the character of a protected scenic area.

Alex Duncan had sought permission to erect a 28-square-metre recreational hut in Caitloch Woodland, east of Tererran Bridge.

It was intended for occasional overnight stays and as a shelter during ongoing woodland management, with the applicant having already planted more than 500 native species trees on the site.

At Dumfries and Galloway Council’s planning committee last week, planner Claire Ingram recommended to councillors that they reject the proposal.

She acknowledged that the principle of the hut within the wider vicinity was not a problem. The issue, she explained, was the specific location chosen.

The site lies within the Thornhill Uplands Regional Scenic Area and has been extensively cleared following forestry operations. While new native species planting has been carried out, this would take several years to establish, leaving the proposed hut exposed and clearly visible.

The officer said the hut would be “largely visible in views from the public road due to its close proximity, as well as in longer views from the other side of the valley,” and that it “would not benefit significantly from any existing screening by trees as these will take several years to establish.”

The refusal does not prevent the applicant from reapplying with a revised proposal sited elsewhere within the land holding.