Residents are fighting a new plan to develop the 2,660 sq.m. bank behind 32–62 Broughton Road (Ref. 15/02335/FUL).
The proposal is for eight 4-bedroom, semi-detached townhouses, 14 parking spaces, and ‘associated access improvements’.
Sir Frank Mears Associates (SFMA) is behind the designs for the Virgin Islands-based Provincial Property Holding Ltd.
A plan of the development shows four blocks of two dwellings evenly spaced along the full length of the access road. Each would be of 3 storeys with a 2-storey section on the sides plus roof terraces on the rear and end elevations.
In many respects, the design resembles that presented to the New Town and Broughton Community Council in March 2010 (Issue 181). NTBCC opposed the plan, which later stalled during the economic downturn before controversially returning last year. For more recent Spurtle coverage, start here.
SFMA says in its design statement:
Over the past decade or so, plans for development of the site at Heriot Hill have been brought forward and discussed with the Planning department. The principle of residential development on the site has not been in question, and guidance given by planning officers has varied, but much has depended on the form of housing to be adopted for development.
The slippery slope
A retaining wall and sheet piling would hold back the bank at the back, where the top floor would be at the same level as gardens along Claremont Bank and Grove. 'They will be built into the slope,' says SFMA, 'and will not rise materially above the level of the fences of the gardens at that point.'
Extensive new retaining walls would stabilise access to the proposed development from Broughton Road. Despite its narrownness, the access road has, apparently, been designed to take ‘delivery and service vehicles’ and has a turning point. How emergency vehicles would negotiate it is not clear to Spurtle.
So far, the proposal is a little vague about exactly what will be done to prevent the rest of the bank collapsing:
The Consulting Engineer has examined the measures necessary to protect and stabilise the sloping land on the site. There are stabilisation measures, and boundary fences in place from earlier times, at the top of the slope, and further down into the body of the site. … In the course of the development works, these existing works will be examined and proper retention features put in place as part of the construction of the houses. This work will address the concerns of local residents on the higher land to the south of the site about the stability of their gardens. At the earlier public meeting this was a primary concern.
Locals mobilise to resist
Readers will recall how neighbours in the past have been annoyed by the allegedly unhelpful and occasionally aggressive attitude of contractors.
They are now irritated by the absence of notification. The first of them only found out about the latest proposals by email on Friday, nine days after the planning application was made on 20 May.
One has described it as a ‘terrible looking plan, which would have a huge and extremely negative impact on huge numbers of local people’.
She continues: ‘For this, and for many other reasons, this proposed application (and previous withdrawn application) is not in line with guidelines for development’.
Another resident's observations suggest previous assessments of the impact of this proposed development on wildlife may have been conservative. He has spotted ‘bats, foxes, goldfinches, and birds of prey’ this year alone.
Councillor Nick Gardner (Ward 12) is arranging a public meeting at Broughton Primary School later this week (date to be confirmed). Malcolm Chisholm MSP has pledged his support. Seven notes of objection have been sent to the Council already. Opponents of the scheme hope to match or exceed their previous total of 52.
The deadline for objections or letters of support is 26 June.
For more information on the campaign against, email saveheriothill@lists.yuiop or look at the Save Heriot Hill Facebook page here in the days to come.
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Would it be impolite to wonder if Sir Frank Mears would've approved of his name being attached to this design? pic.twitter.com/f8sQVpFXxK
@ArchHist @theSpurtle is it an ASDA store? Not bad for that....
