House plans take a knock

May 1 2009 by Kaiya Marjoribanks, Stirling Observer Friday

STIRLING Council planners are recommending refusal of an application to build a new house near Killearn.

Mr and Mrs J Fairfull want to build the house on land 118 metres north west of Stilwater.

However, the planners say while the design of the house is not unacceptable, the application is contrary to policy as the site is not part of an established group of buildings and cannot be developed to form a group.

They said: “Currently at this location there are four buildings, being Stillwater, Killearn House, the Stables and the cottage. These are all houses however, Stillwater is more than 100 metres from Killearn House and therefore the four buildings do not form a building group.

“Even if Stillwater had been built closer to Killearn House it is not considered these buildings would read as an obvious group.”

Killearn Community Council has objected to the proposal on the grounds that because of the distance between Stillwater and Killearn House there is no building group at the site.

It also says the applicants have not submitted a justification with the application in connection with an established rural business.

The Fairfulls’ agent, however, has told council planners: “There is existing permission for a building – a fishing lodge/cafeteria – to the rear of this proposal, which can be built tomorrow.

“Should this be built then there would be an even more clearly defined ‘building cluster’ which would permit replacement of the existing permission with a dwelling.”

The planners said: “Despite this information, the recommendation to refuse this application as the extant permission has not been fully implemented therefore there is no building group at this location.

“The extant permission, if implemented, would result in four or more buildings with no building being more than 100 metres from the next. However, it is also considered that should this lodge/cafeteria be built then the resulting development would not form an obvious group as defined in policy.”