{"id":414670,"date":"2025-09-11T02:19:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T02:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/414670\/"},"modified":"2025-09-11T02:19:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T02:19:12","slug":"historic-golf-course-has-15-months-to-run-after-council-rejects-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/414670\/","title":{"rendered":"Historic golf course has ’15 months to run’ after council rejects plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Councillors were advised by officers it would be a \u201csignificant\u201d departure from the local development plan that was not justified, while the club\u2019s captain said refusal would see the club continue for 15 months \u201cat the absolute most\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n In partnership with Kilmac Ltd, Craigie Hill Golf Club submitted plans to reconfigure its course at Pickembere from 18 holes to nine. The proposal was for up to 175 homes to be built on the northern part of the course, remodelling the clubhouse to create a community hub, as well as creating bike trails, a pocket park, greenkeeping shed, padel\/p\u00e9tanque courts and golf practice areas.\n<\/p>\n

\n The application received 212 letters of support and 107 objections.\n<\/p>\n

\n Officers recommended councillors refuse the plans on the grounds: it was an\u00a0 unjustified development on Perth\u2019s green belt; the Transport<\/a> Assessment did not consider the potential impacts of an Aldi store being built on Necessity Brae and \u201cinsufficient information\u201d on tree loss.\n<\/p>\n

\n The council\u2019s own Development Plan Team, Transport Planning Team and Biodiversity Team all objected to the plans.\n<\/p>\n

\n In a packed council chamber, club captain David Mitchell told councillors: \u201cIf refused, we have 15 months to run at the absolute most.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n He told councillors the club was haemorrhaging \u00a325-30,000 a year and had been \u201cfighting\u201d against a decline for the past 20 years.\n<\/p>\n

\n The captain told elected members the proposal being put before them would deliver a \u201cnet gain for Perth, continued employment for staff\u201d and have a \u201cminimal\u201d impact on Perth\u2019s green belt.\n<\/p>\n

\n Club member and Kilmac co-founder Athole McDonald told councillors: \u201cIf we have to amputate an arm to save the body, that\u2019s what we will do.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Read More<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n He told councillors the revamped course would make it \u201cmore accessible\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Development director Derek Ross said the mapping system was \u201cincorrect\u201d and \u201cno ancient woodland would be affected\u201d. He also said the club sought a deferral on the council\u2019s decision to allow time to address the concerns about the transport assessment \u201cbut it was refused\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n He added: \u201cWe have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on this project.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Deputy leader Eric Drysdale asked if planning officers had not made it clear\u00a0 the proposal of building housing on Perth\u2019s green belt was contrary to planning policy, to which Derek responded: \u201cYes, they did.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Among the concerns listed by the 107 objectors were:\u00a0fears it will exacerbate existing flooding issues in the area; inappropriate use of land; light pollution; noise pollution; tree loss; houses being too close to the Aviva wind turbine; the development would be out of character, as well as concerns about the impact on traffic, parking and\u00a0 existing services and infrastructure.\n<\/p>\n

\n Perth Community Flood Aid members Janice Haig and Malcolm MacConnachie addressed the committee on behalf of local residents and objectors.\n<\/p>\n

\n Malcolm \u2013 a retired senior hydrologist \u2013 said it was \u201cno coincidence\u201d there had been a recent increase in the number of flooding incidents in the area following several local developments including the Broxden Business Park and Charlotte Gate developments.\n<\/p>\n

\n Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey moved the plans for approval saying the \u201ccurrent housing emergency dictated the need for housing\u201d and that it would secure the long-term future of the historic club. Conservative councillor Hugh Anderson seconded.\n<\/p>\n

\n SNP<\/a> councillor Ian Massie \u2013 while sympathising with the club \u2013 moved for refusal. The Planning and Placemaking Committee convener said addressing the national housing emergency \u201ccannot be development at any cost\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n He said it would undermine the \u201csignificant\u201d time, effort and consultation involved in producing both local and national planning policies.\n<\/p>\n

\n Cllr Massie added: \u201cLocal development plans are adopted after a lengthy, and costly process, involving wide consultations, with many stakeholders.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIf we approve this proposal contrary to our own Local Development Plan \u2013 and contrary to NPF4 \u2013 we are at risk of undermining public confidence in a plan led system. We also risk approving developments which lack the necessary associated infrastructure.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cTo approve this proposal would risk sending out a message to other developers that they can opt out of the development planning process and simply come forward with ad hoc sites whenever the chance arises.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n However fellow SNP councillor Tom McEwan \u2013 who convenes the Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee \u2013 voted to support the application saying it provided an opportunity \u201cto think outside of the box\u201d and help address the housing shortage.\n<\/p>\n

\n Council leader Grant Laing \u2013\u00a0 who voted to refuse the application \u2013 said: \u201cThis is not about rescuing a business or a club. It\u2019s simply a planning matter.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n PKC\u2019s Major Applications and Enforcement team leader Sean Panton told councillors, his team would be willing to help the club explore alternatives.\n<\/p>\n

\n He said: \u201cWe would be willing to work with Craigie Hill. There\u2019s definitely scope for diversification of the site \u2013 just not housing.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n After almost four hours of lengthy discussion and deputations from both\u00a0 objectors and the applicants, councillors voted by 26 votes to nine to refuse the application, with two abstentions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Councillors were advised by officers it would be a \u201csignificant\u201d departure from the local development plan that was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":411107,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4106],"tags":[2826,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-414670","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-golf","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115183272898754921","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=414670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414670\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/411107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=414670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=414670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=414670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}