Major opposition to Auchterarder housing plan

Plans submitted for 40 homes

A planned development of 40 new houses in Auchterarder by Muir Homes faces significant local objection, with fears over traffic, parking and loss of cherished green space.

Plans for a 1.79-hectare site south of Townhead have been lodged with the council as part of a wider phased development of 115 affordable homes.

However, the project has elicited significant local objection, including a petition, with residents describing the area of green agricultural ground, within which the plan sits, as the community’s ‘beating heart’.

Housing need

Auchterarder has grown considerably over the last decade, placing pressures on local infrastructure and amenities.

The Lang Toon’s population has mushroomed 36%, with a 47% rise in households and many residents regard the new plan as a development too far, despite the acknowledged need for more affordable housing.

The southeast boundary of the projected scheme is on land separating the town from the A9 which is popular for dog walking, recreation and as a playing area for children, with views to the Ochil hills.

One of the 250+ objectors described the Townhead field as ‘one of the very few green spaces left in the town,’ another stating it was, ‘a cherished, well used and culturally significant space.’

Image showing the green site where the houses will be built

Loss of peace and amenity

Others fear the loss of peace and the impact of more traffic, with Auchterarder effectively branching out from a single road, hence its Lang Toon moniker, with parking already an issue.

Part of the attraction of the picturesque town is lifestyle, with attractions such as Gleneagles as well as independent shops and its rural location.

One objector claimed the development amounts to ‘loss of the historic character of the town,’ but Muir Homes regard the first phase of a wider housing project as essential to meeting affordable housing needs.

The site, bordered on one side by established housing, will – if built- contain energy efficient homes ranging from 1 bedroom to 4 with four units designed for wheelchair users.

There will be 12 cottage flats and 26 semi-detached or terraced houses with EV charging points and air source heat pumps, with biodiversity features incorporated across the site including a drainage pond which will also manage surface water.

Muir Homes say the site has already been identified as ‘buildable’ in the local plan.

The deadline for consultation with statutory bodies is July 1st with planners likely to determine the status of the plan thereafter.

Attractions such as Gleneagles make Auchterarder a sought after location