Planning application for houses at St Mary's Monastery - our objection

The Chairman of Bridgend, Gannochy and Kinnoull Community Council has written the following letter, on behalf of the Community Council, which objects to the planning application for houses on the St Mary's Monastery site.

The full letter is replicated below.

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31 January 2012

Mr N Brian
Development Quality Manager
Perth & Kinross Council
Pullar House
35 Kinnoull Street
Perth PH1 5GD

Dear Mr. Brian,

Erection of 19 dwellinghouses | Land 20 Metres East Of St Marys Monastery Hatton Road Perth (12/00008/FLM)

On behalf of Bridgend, Gannochy & Kinnoull Community Council (BGKCC), I am writing to object to the above planning application on the following material considerations:

1. The proposed development is in an Area of Great Landscape Value, shortly to become designated as Green Belt.
2. There is inadequate road infrastructure in this part of Perth to accept the load which a further 19 housing units would impose.
3. In relation to its scope, density and design, the proposed development would detract from the amenity of the Monastery.

Area of great landscape value / Green Belt

The proposed development is in an area designated as AGLV. In a recent meeting, Perth & Kinross Council (PKC) explicitly voted that this be preserved as Green Belt. Any encroachment into this area of Green belt is viewed as unacceptable and directly contrary to the Council's and Community Council's wishes.

Inadequate road infrastructure

Contrary to what may be perceived by some in PKC, BGKCC has no objections to new housing development per se. It is not a "NIMBY" organisation. It does, however, reasonably expect PKC to adopt a holistic approach to planning whereby adequate infrastructure is provided in advance to support required development. PKC's roads planning personnel have informed us for several years that the road infrastructure in Bridgend is at capacity and that there is no solution available to relieve the situation other than the proposed new road crossing from Inveralmond to the A94. The Transport Assessment submitted as long ago as 2006 by NHS Tayside for the Murray Royal Hospital development gives testimony to this, as does the subsequent restriction on the number of parking spaces allocated to the new hospital facilities in order to reduce traffic through Bridgend. As road capacity has been reached (for some years) it would be entirely inappropriate and inconsistent for PKC to dismiss the incremental traffic demand from this proposed development as having no significant impact.

Furthermore, the site will be primarily accessed via Manse Road, Bowerswell Road and Lochie Brae, all of which are well documented and persistent causes of concern and complaint for the local community owing to their inadequate width of roadway, the lack of adequate pavements and the lack of funds for PKC to address these inadequacies.

Setting of the monastery

The site for the proposed development contributes greatly to the present setting of the Monastery. Views of the Monastery are obtained from surrounding public areas. These would be lost entirely by a dense development of two storey buildings. In short, two storey housing development on an elevated site above the Monastery is entirely inappropriate.

Additional comments

While there is an acknowledged body of emotional support which the Monastery has solicited for this application, it should be noted that this planning application is considered vexatious by the community. BGKCC has received no comments supporting the proposal and many objecting to it. These objections include:

a) The proposal is not materially different from the previous application (11/00099/IPM) which was refused by PKC. It neither addresses nor overcomes the previous reasons for refusal.

b) The Monastery is reneging on its promise in 2004 not to sell more land for development following the previous sale of assets to carry out renovations.

c) The previous sale of assets was supposed to have achieved the result of creating a viable operation at the Monastery. It is clear that this has not happened. While there is respect for the service it strives to provide, it is evident that the Monastery does not have a sustainable business plan. Its lack of a viable business plan means it has been unable to obtain adequate grant funding and is now reverting to a proposed sale of assets in a vain attempt to gain some income.

d) Despite the Monastery's intention not to make any contribution to PKC for affordable housing, it is thought that the proposed sale of assets will still not generate sufficient funding for the Monastery to address the large backlog of fundamental maintenance work which has accumulated through years of neglect.

As a result of the material planning objections, the moral objections and the Monastery's lack of a viable business plan which are cited above, Bridgend, Gannochy & Kinnoull Community Council objects to this planning application and urges its refusal.

Yours faithfully,

Graham Fleming

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