A decision to renew planning in principal to build homes on green space near Lonan Drive without a public hearing at this stage was described as ‘unfavourable’ by campaigners fighting the proposed development.
The Oban matter was reported to Argyll and Bute’s Planning, Protective Services and Licensing Committee on December 20 because the council had received 77 objections to the proposal, and as such the decision had to be made by elected councillors rather than officers.
An officers’ report to the committee noted that planning permission in principle had previously been granted in 2019 and that this latest application before them was only seeking a renewal of it and as such was not considered to give rise to any new matters of significance.
However, a further application, and possibly more, will still need to go before the council before any development work can start.
A list of 15 conditions are attached to the recent renewed approval which means no development work shall start until those elements have been satisfied – including that the site is proved free of Japanese knotweed. Other conditions cover parking provision to drainage works, landscaping, and safeguarding trees and wildlife. A total of 25 per cent of any homes, if it goes ahead, should also be affordable.
At the time of those further applications being submitted to show that conditions have been met, there will be opportunity for interested parties to comment on as part of the continued planning process.
Traffic, access problems and noise are specific key areas of campaigners’ long-time concerns as are wildlife, which includes red squirrels living there, flooding potential and invasive knotweed.
Earlier this year The Oban Times reported developers behind plans to build more than 40 controversial new homes on the greenspace had changed.
The change happened when previously approved planning in principal ran out. Instead of TSL contractors, land owner Kenneth Burnett of Drimvargie Properties took over, pushing the scheme forward by seeking renewed planning permission in principal (PPL) after time ran out on the last approval.
At the time. campaigners remobilised to make sure their views on traffic, access problems and noise continued to be heard loud and clear.
Last week’s council decision to approve renewed PPL was described by campaigners as an “unfavourable.” Although objectors were invited to attend the meeting online neither them, or the applicant, were allowed to speak.
An online poll later launched by the Lonan Drive Planning Application Facebook, showed 100 per cent backing against the residential development happening.
The last time planning in principle was agreed, it was won at a public hearing by a casting vote.
Campaigners had hoped for another public hearing but because the circumstances of the site, infrastructure and planning policy have not changed since the previous permission was granted, it was not considered a further local hearing at this stage would add any value to the planning process.
But it was observed by last week’s committee that it may be appropriate to hold a hearing in the future when a further application including details of the development is submitted.
Oban councillor Jim Lynch said Lonan Drive was “a hot topic” but people should be reassured this renewal was still part of the planning process and as such the proposal had not advanced much. “There will be more opportunities to come for consultations,” he said.
The Oban Time’s attempted to contact landowners Drimvargie Properties via architects named in planning documents but was told by the agency that they were no longer connected with the proposal.