Perthshire Planning Ahead: Luxury holiday homes idea for Taymouth and Methven solar battle
by Stephen Eighteen · The CourierA bid has been put forward to transform a “forgotten” plot of land on a Perthshire country estate into holiday accommodation.
Eòlas Architects have applied to build five holiday cottages at Mains of Taymouth in Kenmore to “enliven the area”.
According to the planning statement, the land has lain empty since 2021 after the former stable block was demolished.
If approved, it is hoped the five holiday homes will help to “expand the business” and provide more employment.
The homes have been designed in a contemporary style while still utilising traditional stone and timber to be in-keeping with the rest of the estate.
They will be heated by an air-source heat pump system with underfloor heating on the ground floor and radiators on the first floor.
Methven residents vow to fight solar scheme
Residents have vowed to fight green energy developers who want to build one of Scotland’s biggest solar farms on agricultural land near Methven.
The Kinnon Park Farm site, off the A85, is more than 80 hectares in size – bigger than 100 football fields.
The scheme could power 25,000 homes, according to the application.
However, Methven residents plan to contest the plans.
The application has created “uproar”, said one campaigner.
And an action group has been formed in nearby Tibbermore to oppose the proposal and a second, separate application for a nearby battery storage farm.
NS Solar Kinnon Park has losged the solar farm application with Perth and Kinross Council.
It follows consultations with locals and discussions with the council, during which the original plans were scaled back.
According to a planning statement, the application site and number of solar panels have been reduced by 25% since the proposal first emerged.
Auchterarder toilets could become banking hub
Public toilets in Auchterarder could be turned into a banking hub.
Not-for-profit company Cash Access UK, which is owned by 10 major banks, has applied to create the hub at the former facility in High Street/Crown Inn Wynd.
Auctherarder was earmarked for a banking hub after its last bank branch, Bank of Scotland, closed in 2020.
Perth and Kinross Council consulted on the future of the toilets this year.
Auchterarder Picture House wanted the toilets to be used as an art gallery.
Around 55% of respondents supported this.
However, the council opted for a banking hub – despite only 39% backing.
Blairgowrie woman vows to appeal garage decision
A Blairgowrie woman says she will appeal the decision to stop her converting a condemned garage into a home.
Jessica Maxwell accused Perth and Kinross Council of “lacking humanity” for refusing her planning application for Cottage of Clunie, an isolated property five miles from Blairgowrie.
She has high-functioning autism and works full-time.
The 36-year-old claims converting the garage is crucial to stay near her parents, who live with her in the adjacent cottage.
But the council refused, citing its rural protection policy.
Jessica says her appeal will focus on the prospect of another person converting former telecom huts near the property into housing, and on the fact the garage was previously an agricultural building.
Grandtully restaurant allowed extension for ‘campsite customers’
The Inn on the Tay in Grandtully was given retrospective permission for an extension.
The council discovered that timber extensions on the restaurant building had not gone through its planning process.
So the Inn applied to extend the east elevation and install bifold door openings on the west and south elevation of the original building.
Its supporting statement said: “The necessary works are intended to cater for the influx of customers from the campsite across the road.”
The council accepted the scheme, with one of the conditions restricting the daily operation of outdoor seating hours to between 8am and 10pm.
Here are the links to the planning papers for the Perth and Kinross applications