Aberfeldy plan could ease housing crisis for businesses

2nd homes and holiday lets impacting community

Consultations open on 55 new affordable homes

Consultations have opened on an affordable housing plan in Aberfeldy which could begin to help overcome a serious housing crisis impacting businesses and the community.

The Highland Perthshire town has been disproportionately affected by the lack of accessible housing, caused by the increase in second home ownership and holiday let accommodation.

A 2022 Survey by Aberfeldy Development Trust said that 87% of respondents supported the need for more affordable homes, with two thirds of businesses struggling to accommodate staff.

Now, family-run builders GS Brown Construction Ltd, based in St. Madoes, has lodged a pre-planning application for 55 new affordable houses on a 1.8-hectare site south of Duntaylor Avenue.

The site formed part of a historic zoned housing site for 40 houses.

The first of two interactive community consultation events was held on Thursday afternoon at the Town Hall, with the company encouraging active participation from the community ‘in respect of local knowledge, concerns and views and to inform the initial design process.’

The second event, which will contain more detailed plans and a Q and A, will be held in the Lesser Hall, Town Hall, on 16th April.

Cautious welcome

One issue to be considered is the presence of an old, protected Oak tree within the site boundary, with access to the development –from the existing access on Duntaylor Avenue - also likely to be high on the agenda.

So far, the proposal has been welcomed, with residents mindful of the need to address the chronic housing shortage impacting not only Aberfeldy but the wider Upper Tay.

Aberfeldy Community Council Chair Victor Clements said: “Lack of accessibility to housing is the single biggest issue we face in Highland Perthshire and is not a problem that anyone can deny.

“It reduces opportunities for young people but also makes it very difficult for anyone coming here to work in shops or hospitality, as teachers or nurses, and even in the rural/ agricultural sector.

“This current development is described as “affordable”, and is welcome, but that word is of course relative, and the housing list for people wanting housing is council wide, not just for people from Aberfeldy.

“What we really need here is to have several schemes of this size or larger, and to have a reasonable proportion of those retained for people who are wanting to work within the area.

“A purely open list will not address the issue. We probably need 4-500 houses plus in the Upper Tay to make a proper difference to things, probably a combination of new houses, extension to others, and some sort of control of use so that we do not continually lose housing stock to second homes and holiday accommodation.”

Long-running issue

Interested parties will be able to provide input and comments on the new proposal up until 24th April to architect@gsbrown.co.uk

Aberfeldy Development Trust was successful recently in securing £125 000 from the Scottish Land Fund to purchase the former Slaughterhouse site for affordable homes.

A meeting of the full Perth and Kinross Council will decide this year whether or not to introduce a short term let control zone for Highland Perthshire and northern parts of Eastern Perthshire.