Residents question plans for 80 new Culloden homes
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Residents have lambasted a developer for an 80-home proposal on a site near to Culloden battlefield.
After seeing early stage plans for Newlands of Culloden, locals said the housing development would “never” get planning permission.
At a community consultation in Croy Hall on Monday afternoon, ideas suggested for the area by developer Kirkwood Homes included detached homes, 20 affordable homes, a village green and a potential camping pod business, built on 30 acres of land.
Concerns were raised by locals about any development on the site due to its scale, location and close proximity to a busy tourist route.
Resident Sandra Bryant (59) whose home is near to the development, said: “Everyone knows that there has to be progress, but this is a development three times the size of surrounding villages. This isn’t about developing the community, it is all about profit.
“We were hoping there might be some sort of community gain such as a village hall or some other business ideas, but there didn’t seem to be anything like that being put forward.”
Another resident said: “The community council are against it, the locals are against it. We were promised there would be no developments in the area near the viaduct. But the major issue is the already busy road and the sheer volume of traffic that 80 houses will cause.
“This area should not be developed. No way. “
G H Johnston Building Consultants Limited Planning and Architecture said it had consulted with more than 50 residents.
Planning consultant Colin MacKenzie said: “While there is no timescale for a planning application to be made to Highland Council, under the normal scheme of things it would likely that a planning application was made in late spring or early summer 2020.”
Fellow consultant Gary Johnston, said: “It is our job to collate that information and look at ways to mitigate concerns raised with us. People gave us some good ideas about where the road access should be cited, and we were pleased to have that level of engagement at this early stage.”
