New homes agreed for Port William
PLANS for 14 new affordable houses in Port William were approved by the councillors of the Wigtown Area Committee at their meeting on Wednesday.
But the developers will have to satisfy local traffic concerns before work can start.
Social landlords, Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership, want to build 14 semi detached houses on land adjacent to Seaview Terrace, Port William, but residents living nearby had expressed their concerns about safety, saying the roads leading to the site would not be able to cope with an increase in traffic, particularly construction vehicles.
Mid Galloway Councillor said that while he welcomed the news that affordable homes were being planned for rural areas of Wigtownshire he said there were other aspects of this proposal that were very important but could not be dealt with as they fell outwith the remit of the planning meeting. He encouraged the developers to work with the community to address the traffic issues. The Councillor added that the planners were asking medieval street pattern to cope with the demands of modern traffic.
Fellow Mid Galloway Councillor Graham Nicol said that the council had turned down a planning application for this site three years ago because of road safety issues. He had occasion to do business there and he said that access was very difficult because of the narrowness of the streets and the steep gradient up Church Street.
Council planning officer John Ferguson said that previous application had been for 40 homes, whereas this one for 14 homes was deemed acceptable.
Council Roads officer Jane Bridge said she had checked the record of accidents in the area and reported there had been no accidents in Church Street in the last nine years. She also said they could not widen the roads as they were limited by the footpaths the road and the houses.
All councillors agreed that consultation with the community was paramount and agreed to grant planning subject to conditions, with the added condition that "prior to commencing a traffic management plan be submitted" for agreement with the community and the council.
THE Councillors of the Wigtown Area Committee agreed to approve the design details for a pumping station at Port Rodie, Stranraer, although the sale of the land it will be built on has not been agreed yet.
Scottish Water want to build the pumping station to replace the sewage treatment works and they want to build it on land that is surplus to requirements by the council. The 592 square metre site, next to Ulsterbus, is currently being used as a car park.
Stranraer Councillor Willie Scobie said he reminded concerned that " a pumping station in this location must have an impact on the whole master plan" adding that he had serious reservation because of the potential for unpleasant odours.
Wigtown West Councillor Robert Higgins said it was an improvement on the "existing carbunkle" it would replace.
Fellow Wigtown West Councillor Grahame Forster said he thought that council officers were "putting the cart before the horse" as the sale of the land was not agreed and he wanted to know how many other offers there had been for the land.
He added that the future of Stranraer did not just hinge on the Waterfront development as there was building going on "all over the place".
After Councillor Forster asked for to defer any decision until more information was available, the meeting adjourned for governance on the issue.
When the meeting recommenced councillors were told they could only discuss the design plans that were before them and these were duly approved, subject to conditions.
PLANNING permission was granted to S Parr for a one and three-quarter storey house at plot two, Duncan Park, Wigtown.
Mid Galloway Councillor Sandra McDowall had an interest in the site and as representations against the proposal had been received from family members, in the interests of openness and full transparency, she declared her interest and took no part in the determination of the application.
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Weather for Newton Stewart
Tuesday 07 February 2012
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Temperature: -0 C to 3 C
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