Dornoch community group runs into opposition over plan to develop housing plots in town
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A PLAN by a community group to develop six serviced plots in Dornoch for sale on the open market is running into opposition.
Dornoch and District Community Association (DADCA) is seeking planning consent to develop the sites with associate infrastructure and 18 car parking bays, on a 1.24 acre scrub land site at Elizabeth Crescent.
Two-storey homes are envisaged.
The area of land in question, which originally belonged to Highland Council, runs between an outdoor basketball court to a property known as Tullochard.
The intention is to plough the proceeds of the plot sales into community projects, including the potential development of a community centre.
But eight objections have been sent in to Highland Council’s planning department with concerns over the design and layout of the plots as well as the height of the potential buildings, the loss of “amenity” land and the cutting down of mature deciduous trees and bushes.
Alan Charlish claimed that residents on Elizabeth Crescent felt two-storey houses would be “excessively invasive”, although they would look more favourably on single-storey homes.
Neil Hampton wrote that the layout of the plots and infrastructure did not “take account of the existing flow of the road and footpath network and looks like it has merely been dropped in to maximise the land”.
He continued: “The premise of selling the plots to then use the money to reinvest into the town of Dornoch is a noble one, but the design needs to work with what is already there.
“The infringement on the neighbouring dwellings has not been taken into account with both the road/footpath layout, and more importantly, the size and positioning of the houses.”
Mr Hampton added: “The lack of consultation with the existing residents of the area is disappointing and would have gone a long way to help design a layout that was sympathetic.”
Tullochard proprietor Stanley Wilson is also among those objecting.
He wrote: “I understood that this was to be amenity land for future community use, not for having six plots packed into it with absolutely no regard for the consequence on the surrounding area and residents.”
Mr Wilson is also concerned at a possible over-provision of housing in the area.
Because of the number of objections, the application will be discussed at a future meeting of the north planning committee.
