A controversial planning application to build 250 homes on farmland near Stenhousemuir will now be decided by a Scottish Government appointed reporter.
The plans for the new homes on Bensfield Farm - close to Redpath Drive, Stenhousemuir - sparked a petition to Falkirk Council that gathered more than 1700 signatures when they were first revealed.
Many residents feared the new housing would mean the loss of a favourite walking route - known as the Squiggly - and there were also concerns that the development would put yet more pressure on health services and schools.
