A proposal to demolish outbuildings and replace them three holiday rental properties has been given the go-ahead despite objections.
North Ayrshire Council officials have given the development at Loan Mhor, Shannochie, planning permission, subject to conditions.
Arran Community Council had argued there appeared to be “many local objections” to the proposal and said the access track needed upgraded and there were water and sewage concerns.
Arran Civic Trust was also against the development stating: “There is a recent trend on Arran to demolish old barns and replace them with as large a number of ‘holiday lets’ as planners will permit. This beautiful rural location is unsuited to ever more undistinguished new buildings with no sense of place to fit into the rural farming community architecture of Arran. Shannochie is unsuited to such a development and the access would need a major upgrade. This exemplifies the breakdown in rural communities into weekender land.
“An awareness of the importance of social interactions in our farming communities is at risk with these out-of-place developments which include the destruction of much older farm buildings. When a village is gutted of people with no local, social and community association, the sense of place is diminished or lost.”
However, the applicant argued the proposed development had a smaller overall footprint than the existing outbuildings, the external materials exactly matched the existing property at Loan Mhor and there were no overlooking issues.