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Controversial plans to build 24 homes on open land in Merkinch, Inverness rejected


By Val Sweeney

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The site of the proposed housing development near Craigton Avenue.
The site of the proposed housing development near Craigton Avenue.

Highland Council planners have rejected plans to create new homes on an open area of land in Merkinch.

It was the council itself which first submitted the application six years ago to build a mix of affordable homes on land between Carnac Crescent and Craigton Avenue.

It has been turned down by council officers using delegated powers, on the grounds that the application failed to provide assessments on the flood risk and drainage impact, plus other information, despite repeated requests.

It comes six months after the council backtracked on plans to build 35 homes close to Merkinch Local Nature Reserve following a storm of opposition.

The proposed 24-home development was for a mix of one and two-bedroomed bungalows, three-bedroom homes and two-bedroom flats in two separate two-storey blocks.

But local residents and community leaders raised concerns about the suitability of the site, the flood risks and the loss of open space.

A report by planning officer John Kelly said it had been refused as there was a complete lack of supporting information to demonstrate the site was suitable.

“Such information would be expected to include a supporting statement demonstrating that the provision of affordable housing and enhanced play facilities results in a demonstrable net gain for the local community to offset the existing open space,” he stated.

He acknowledged concerns about the layout and design of the units and while these could have been addressed through a redesign, he claimed the most fundamental barrier was the lack of information about the flood risk.

“Despite repeated attempts to secure the information arising from the objections and from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the council’s flood risk management team, none has been forthcoming and this is despite the subsequent issuing of a Regulation 24 letter setting out in detail what is required,” he said.

Dell McClurg, Merkinch Community Council chairwoman, said it was the right decision because of the ground.

“The ground they want to build on is often wet and boggy,” she told the Courier..

“Sometimes it is like walking on a sponge.”

She said objections by SEPA were the main factor, but other issues included the loss of open space which is used for community events, plus the layout of the new homes which would back on to existing properties.

She added: “Nobody was particularly against the houses per se, as long as they were not right up to the back of people’s fences and looking in on them.”

It also involved the demolition two years ago of two properties in Craigton Avenue, one of which homed local authority housing staff and a community project.

Ms McClurg was unhappy that their demolition had gone ahead, saying they could have been used to house people.

A council spokesman said: “This is a technical refusal. The council, as the applicant, was unable to complete the flood risk assessment within the prescribed period which would have allowed the application to be assessed.

“The council will now be considering options.”

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