Peebles Civic Society

Peebles Civic Society – Planning Responses April 2013

 PA13/00216/LBCNN & 13/00217FUL – Mr Paul Gunn

Demolition of existing and erection of replacement wall and railings and installation of 8 No. photovoltaic panels

5 Damdale Peebles

 1.  We object to the installation of photovoltaic panels on the front elevation of the garage.

2.  This is a listed building and the proposed installation will materially detract from the appearance of the combined frontage of the house and garage.

3.  We have no objection to the demolition of the existing wall  and replacement by a wall and railings.

PA13//00364/LBCNN & 13/00368/FUL – David Hinks

Installation of air conditioning unit.

Cocoa Black 1-2 Cuddy Bridge Peebles

 This is a prominent Listed Building The application documents show the position of the  external equipment on plan, but not on elevation. It is important that it is mounted in a position where it does not impact on the appearance of the south façade. Provided this can be achieved we would not object.

 PA13/00378/FUL – Club President

Removal of existing floodlights and installation of permanent floodlighting posts (8No)

PeeblesRFC Pavilion Neidpath Road Old TownPeebles

 No objection.

 PA13/00404/Ful – Mr Alan Millington

Installation of 1 No rooflight

38 Wemyss PlacePeebles

 1. No objection in principle.

2. Rooflight should be “Conservation” type.

                 R. W. Ireland                      17.04.2013

Peebles Civic Society – Planning Responses March 2013

 13/00171/FUL  Mrs Sally Morton

Alterations and extensions to dwellinghouse

Dunelm 4 Croft Gardens, Chambers Terrace

 No objection.

 13/00210/FUL    Mr Crick Carleton

Extension to dwellinghouse ( amendment to previous consent 08/01999/FUL)

Flowerdale 6 Crossland Crescent

 No objection

13/002300/FUL Mr and Mrs C Patterson

Formation of dormer

35a Rosetta Road

 No objection

13/00203/FUL  Mr Melvyn Paton

Extension to dwellinghousse

22 Kirkland Street

 No objection

Planning Responses Feb 2013

Part Change of use from Retail Class1 to Business Class

2-4 High StreetPeebles

1.  We note the subjects of the application are part of the Core Area Prime Frontage and that the proposal is contrary to current policy relating to the High Street of Peebles, which confines usage to Retail Class 1 only.

2.  We feel that in this case, in view of the past and present history of the building this could be relaxed, bearing in mind that the larger part of the building will retain Retail usage and that there is a need to see all High Street properties occupied.

3.  The particular business is of a type which is closely related to retail, with window displays, rather than simply being used as an office facility and in these circumstances we do not object.

4.  We feel however, that if possible the application should be granted for this specific business and that the change of use should not be a precedent in the event that the proposed business does not continue in the premises in the future.

PA13/00144/ADV –The Bank of Scotland Halifax

New Illuminated  signage

The Bank of Scotland Halifax 70 High Street Peebles

 No objection

January 2013

 PA12/01481/FUL & 01482/LBCNN – Ms K Simpson

Change of use and alterations to provide residential flat

Second Floor Offices 1 Greenside Place Peebles

No objection.

PA12/01565 /FUL & 01566/LBCNN – Mr and Mrs Taylor

Alterations and extension to dwelling house

21 March Street Peebles

 No objection.

PA13/00018/FUL – Mr Neil Craig

Replacement windows

Craigsford Cottage 15 Cross Street Peebles

 No objection.

 Letter regarding the pre-planning consultation for Rosetta Caravan Park, Peebles.

Savills Planning

163 West George Street

Glasgow

G2 2JJ

4 December 2012

Dear Sirs

Rosetta Holiday Park – Pre-planning Consultation

We thank you for the opportunity to see the pre-planning application consultation exhibition.  We welcome the initiative being taken to improve the holiday park facilities.  However, we do think that this is being done at some cost to the visual qualities of the site and the surrounding countryside. 

1. Housing to fund the works.

We note from your handout that “In order to commit to the level of investment  required to achieve these aims and create a significant positive tourism facility which is not currently  available in Peebles, it has been identified that an element of housing could be incorporated --------which will be able to fund improvements to the holiday park ----- This additional investment would also provide the required funding to repair and upgrade  the existing listed  building and stable blocks on the  park”

With regard to building more houses in Peebles we refer you to the SESPlan Structure Plan and the current Local Plan Main Issues Report that is currently being considered by the Council.  It is our considered view  that for the period until 2018 the housing provision has been met and in our view exceeded.  For the period 2019 – 2024 the SESPlan and Local Plan Main Issues Report states that only 100 houses for the entire Western Development Area are planned. That includes Innerleithen, Walkerburn and Eddleston.

However in order to improve the facilities and to secure the long term future of the Holiday Park some limited development might be acceptable if the Scottish Borders Planning Authority are convinced that the business plan for the holiday park is sustainable on economic grounds in the long term.  We are concerned that financial failure in the future could create a situation where the precedent set for housing on the site is extended to allow even more housing to be built in the future.

We were disappointed that there was no indication of a housing site layout.

We consider that as the area shown for housing is within the curtilege of a group of listed buildings (B) and C(S) in an established parkland landscape, Historic Scotland should be consulted and Listed Building Consent sought.  We are concerned to ensure that the landscape character of the surroundings to the listed buildings is respected and preserved.

2. Holiday Park units

We note that area 1 is to have 60 lodges and as these are  dark brown timber they would not impact on the landscape provided that planting was incorporated in between the lodges.

We are very concerned that area 5 which is high on the valley side, is to have static caravans.  We consider this to be unacceptable.  Static caravans are mostly light coloured with a hard rectangular shape and can be seen from quite a distance, specially in winter.  The presence of static caravans in area 2 illustrates this characteristic well.  We see that there has been no attempt to use tree planting in this area to lessen the visual impact.

The Landscape Capacity Study for Peebles North West lists opinions on sensitivity to the hillsides and the land below, along the river.   The settlement edge is given “Views and Visual Features High Sensitivity”  and the study states that “these slopes are highly visible from the A703 and from elevated viewpoints along the valley sides’’.   We therefore cannot support the proposal to have static caravans in area 5.

3. Access

We are concerned that the existing road links both to the town centre along Rosetta Road and March street and to the A703 at the Crossings junction, are quite inadequate for the volumes of traffic which any major housing development and extended Holiday Park will generate. A comprehensive traffic study will be necessary to demonstrate how acceptable traffic flows can be obtained.

4. Conclusion.

We are concerned that there has been no planning brief undertaken for this development   by Scottish Borders Council to set the parameters for the design of the development, as this is a significant site within the Peebles settlement boundary. In addition a full traffic study should be undertaken.

We conclude that further consultation should be held once the housing layout design and traffic study are taken further, so that numbers and impact on the parkland landscape can be reviewed and traffic requirements satisfied. Until that is done we reserve our position.

We cannot support the proposal to have static caravans on plot 5.

Yours faithfully

Ronald Ireland, Chairman

Copies to – Tweeddale Councillors

                  Director of Environment & Infrastructure, Scottish Borders

                 Council

                 Peebles & District Community Council

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