Muir of Ord housing plan back on the table

DEVELOPERS of a proposed housing site at Muir of Ord which was refused permission three years ago over traffic and pedestrian safety fears have submitted a renewed masterplan to Highland Council.

A total of 104 homes, including 26 affordable properties, are planned for the site at Lochan Corr, Black Isle Road on the south side of Blair of Tarradale Farm.

Agents for the applicants, the Mackay and Robertson Partnership, have lodged a statement in support of their application for planning permission.

The reason for refusal in 2015 lay with road safety issues and the increase in pedestrian and vehicular traffic on the A832 Black Isle Road close to Tarradale Primary School. The substandard junction of the Black Isle Road and Seaforth Road was also a factor.

The developers had been unable to secure improvements to the junction in 2015 or to provide an improved walking or cycling link and had failed to address the increased conflict between vehicular traffic and children outside the school.

In the planning policy statement lodged with the latest application agents for the applicants say the current proposal addresses the reasons for refusal in 2015.

“The submission now includes improved connectivity to existing footpaths around the site to the village; a safe pedestrian route to the village centre and mitigation of the Black Isle Road/Seaforth Road junction,” it said.

The proposed development would cover 6.34 hectares.

The planned improvements to pedestrian and cycling links between the site and the village centre include a new shared cycle/footway on the south side of the A832 Black Isle Road, and new paths on both sides of the two proposed site access junctions.

There would also be improvements to the width of the north footway, new footpaths on the western and eastern boundaries of the site and improvements at the Black Isle Road/Seaforth Road junction.

The new plans also include a contribution towards a bridge over the railway, landscaping proposals and a development in phases not exceeding 20 units per year.

Detailed development plans will be lodged when the principle of development is agreed.