Buccleuch Estates in planning appeal

BUCCLEUCH Estates is fighting against a ruling preventing the company from building two new houses in Thornhill.
The Queensberry Estate business has lodged an appeal after being refused planning permission in principle to construct a house on land north of Greenhead Cottages in Manse Brae.
Two plots on agricultural grazing land are being earmarked for new properties. There is a small building group at this location known as Kirkland of Morton, and Dumfries and Galloway Council planning case officer Claire Ingram refused the application on the grounds that the proposal “would not be within or well related” to these properties.
In her council planning report, she added that the Buccleuch new-builds would be “unsympathetic” to the other buildings and “have a negative impact on the sense of place and local distinctiveness”.
However, councillors will assess this planning decision at the council’s local review body next Wednesday.
Buccleuch Estates have hired Galashiels-based Ferguson Planning to argue their case.
Their appeal statement reads: “The site is well related to the small building group, sitting enclosed between the existing dwellings Kirkland Cottage to the north-east and the Greenhead Cottages to the south-west.”
It continues: “The proposed development comprises a garden of appropriate size for a countryside location. The road frontage of the site is smaller than at least four other existing dwellings locally and is not disproportionately large as asserted in the second reason for refusal.”