A COUPLE’S wait to hear the result of their appeal against refusal of planning permission for a house on the Rosneath peninsula will go on for a while yet after Argyll and Bute councillors failed to reach a final decision.
Council officials rejected Lisa Bradbury and Matt Aitchison’s bid for planning permission for the site south of Fernbank, in Rahane, in October 2024.
The couple appealed against that ruling, resulting in the formation of a ‘local review body’ (LRB) to hear the appeal – and the organising of a site visit by the three councillors on the LRB.
The LRB was due to meet at the Gibson Hall in Garelochhead on Tuesday, April 14 at midday – but two of the three councillors were unable to make that start time.
The third, Councillor Peter Wallace, opened the meeting at 12 noon, then immediately adjourned it until 2.30pm, with the site visit put back to 1.30pm.
When the LRB’s meeting finally did begin, it was over almost as soon as it had started – with the three councillors deciding to continue the process to gather further information.
No date has been set for the next meeting of the LRB.
When the three-councillor panel eventually does reconvene, it will be for the fifth time in respect of the couple’s appeal.
Council officials had voiced concerns about traffic levels and visibility at the junction between the B833 and the proposed access road to the planned new house.
In a report prepared in advance of the LRB’s meeting on April 14, officials said: “The proposed development does not achieve the minimum required visibility distance, does not meet land-control obligations, does not demonstrate exceptional justification for a discretionary relaxation, and presents an avoidable road safety risk, particularly given the confirmed presence of overtaking activity and the operating speed environment.
“Roads therefore cannot support a reduced visibility splay.”
The applicants responded that they “do not understand why roads are so opposed to improving road safety when presented with such a clear opportunity.”
They added: “The potential road safety benefits are orders of magnitude greater than the effect of the minor departure from standard.”
The other councillors on the panel were Gordon Blair (SNP, Cowal) and John Armour (SNP, South Kintyre).
