Perthshire Planning Ahead: Anger at Perth green belt ‘superstructure’ & neighbour’s fence demand
by Stephen Eighteen · The CourierNeighbours have expressed outrage at a new “superstructure” set to be built in Perth’s green belt.
Perth and Kinross Council has granted planning permission for the former Muirhall Pumping Station in Kinnoull to be converted into a new home.
Two previous applications to build a new home on the Muirhall Road site were refused, in 2008 and 2020, for intruding onto protected green belt land.
But the latest scheme, proposed by Stephen Curtis, was accepted as it was deemed a conversion rather than a new development.
The applicant’s supporting statement said: “The proposal is to utilise the existing concrete ‘box’ by removing the roof section and erecting a steel frame inside to support a new two-storey superstructure.
“The concept is to create a house effectively buried below the road and pedestrian eye line to minimise visual impact.”
The application drew three objections.
Concerns included excessive height and being out of character with the local area.
Merle Fraser wrote: “I have uninterrupted views and worry about trees being planted to hide the house and them growing above my eye level.
“The access to the plot is directly opposite, onto the fast traffic on Muirhall Road.
“We shouldn’t be building on our green belt areas.”
Neighbour’s Abernethy fence demand
An Abernethy resident has issued a demand to Perth and Kinross Council over a neighbour’s proposed fence.
Suzanne Rennie has applied to erect a 2.8m-high and 17m-long fence on the southern boundary of their house in Castlelaw Crescent.
An objection from a neighbour said: “We would object, unless controlled by a planning condition to ensure that there are no posts or concrete on the boundary wall.
“And the fence will not be any higher than ours – that would prevent any natural light.”
Perth and Kinross Council will decide on the planning application.
Legendary pub aids Perth Airbnb plan
A flat in Perth city centre has been permitted Airbnb use because it is near a former pub.
The ground-floor home in Victoria Street – near the former Malt House pub – changed hands for £63,000 in February this year.
Less than eight months later, Malgorzata Domaszczynska has received the go-ahead to utilise the one-bedroom property as a short-term let.
Perth and Kinross Council’s decision notice pointed out “the mixed-use nature of Victoria Street with a public house opposite, and several retail hospitality premises further east on Princes Street”.
As a result, it added: “The levels of activity and noise associated with short-term let accommodation would not adversely impact the amenity or character of the area.”
The legendary Malt House shut its doors in August, but another pub could reopen on the site without needing planning permission.
Perthshire Caravans told to remove security fencing despite break-in
Perthshire Caravans has been told to remove a security fence hastily installed after a break-in.
Five caravans worth around £164,000 were stolen from the A90 business, near Errol, between midnight and 2am on Thursday, July 25.
The caravan dealer said they immediately responded by replacing stock-proof fencing with a 125m-long palisade structure along the rural road south of the extended storage area.
Both fences are 1.8m tall.
Perth and Kinross Council’s decision statement said the previous fence, constructed from timber posts with a square wire mesh, had a “high degree of visual permeability, and which enclosed the field in a manner which was sympathetic to the rural context of the field.”
However, it said the current fence “is more akin to an industrial estate than an agricultural field enclosure.”
The statement added: “It limits the visual permeability of the field boundary and has a harmful impact upon the character and visual amenity of the surrounding countryside.”
As a result, retrospective planning permission was refused.
Mountain artwork to be installed near Perthshire castle
Five pieces of artwork are to be installed at a castle near Weem.
Perth and Kinross Castle gave the go-ahead for the designs to be erected on land 150 metres north-east metres of Castle Menzies.
The council’s decision statement said: “Each piece of artwork would be a trellis-like structure, built from un-painted larch timber.
“They would resemble the skyline of different mountains around Perthshire.
“The hollow structure would be visually permeable, and its natural finish would silver and soften with weathering.
“The pieces would be interspersed on the hillside directly to the south of the category B-listed walled garden.”
Here are the links to the planning papers for the Perth and Kinross applications