A house builder has had a decision on plans for new homes in Bathgate put on hold for two months while uncertainty over missing paperwork is sorted out.
What appeared to be a straightforward application to build six new homes on a narrow strip of land in Bathgate quickly developed into a confused debate about the detail of the proposal, and whether reports had actually been supplied.
The developer insisted he tried to update plans on planning consent he already has, but the planners decided it was a new application.
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And planners recommended refusal of the application by David Cowan to build on land next to Inchcross Park on the southern edge of the town , arguing that the road was too narrow for a bin lorry to access the homes. They also said that relevant studies including drainage, noise and a tree and ecology survey had not been supplied.
Mr Cowan told a meeting of the Development Management Committee that, as far as he was concerned, he had only asked for a variation on the planning consent he already had to build eight houses on the site. It was the planning department, he said, who changed his request for a variation to a new application.
He told the committee that he had already supplied documents requested, including one on drainage reports as part of the planning application he had secured in 2018. He added that since December had submitted 50 documents to the planning department.
“I’ve heard nothing from you”, he added.
A planning officer told the meeting that the changes proposed by Mr Cowan to update the specifications of the houses he wanted to build were sufficiently different to justify a new planning application, distinct from the existing planning permission he already has.
Neil Gray, an agent for Mr Cowan said: “The applicant's assertion is that the council has not fully understood the applicant’s intentions when he submitted this in 2022 . He supplied a significant amount of information in 2018.
“Early on in the validation of the current application in October 2022 the applicant had expressed concern to the planning authority realising that the planning officer had changed the description. There’s no proposals to alter the site; the only effect is the design of the house types. That was what was described on the planning form submitted.
“The only change being sought today is house types so we don’t agree with the officers' submission.”
In lengthy debate the only thing that was clear was that documents already submitted for the previous consent had not been considered for what planners were treating as a distinct and very different proposal.
Mr Cowan said he was prepared to supply an ecology report and others he had not already submitted.
Councillor Willie Boyle said: “I would look forward to this being rationally discussed elsewhere and an alternative being put in front of us. We seem to have been painted into a corner where we are. I think we have to take cognisance that a lot of this information has already been provided and what we should be looking at is filling in the gaps that allows this to come forward. If that material has already been provided but not yet processed, then I have to question why this was brought in front of us now, without the information.”
Chairing the meeting, Councillor Stuart Borrowman said: “I think we can all see the harbour where we are trying to steer the ship into. I agree with Willie. This should be filling in the gaps rather than reinventing the wheel. That’s a matter between Mr Cowan and the planning department.”
His proposal to continue the application for two months was seconded by Councillor Boyle.
Councillor Tom Conn said: “We need to get the planners and applicant into a room and get this resolved.”
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