Two houses are to be built at a former railway site in the Stewartry – despite strong opposition.
A planning application was made by Messrs Anderson to Dumfries and Galloway Council to construct two properties, along with septic tanks and soakaways, next to Station House in Crossmichael.
However, five members of the public and Crossmichael and District Community Council lodged written objections which were read out at the planning committee last week.
All of them argued that the housing bid contradicted the council’s local development plan policy on former railway routes, and therefore should not be approved.
Objector John Howell wrote: “I note that the report does consider the potential for future reinstatement of the railway here, but not an active travel corridor as it should be.
“Based on the comments from the community council, the latter appears to be actively considered – and therefore anything that makes this harder to achieve should not be approved.”
Laura Moodie, on behalf of the Scottish Green Party, insisted that permission previously granted for housing at this site in 2015 and 2018 should be ignored – because they didn’t properly factor in planning policies on disused railway lines.
She wrote: “The reinstatement of the Stranraer to Dumfries railway line is currently being considered and supported.
“The railway line through Crossmichael is part of that route, and it must be taken seriously that this former railway route has a reasonable prospect of being reused because no alternative route is being proposed.”
Kippford campaigner Christopher Rosindale wrote: “As the planning application’s committee are surely aware, there is an active local campaign to promote the reopening of this railway, closed by cuts in 1965, to improve regional transport links.
“Sadly, since the line was dismantled in 1968, previous council planning committees have short-sightedly permitted developments on the track bed in places such as Dalbeattie, Castle Douglas and Glenluce, increasing the cost of reinstating the line.”
Council officers recommended that permission be granted for the two houses, however councillors were split on the decision.
North West Dumfries Councillor Andy Ferguson called for the application to be rejected and was seconded by Castle Douglas and Crocketford Councillor John Young.
However, this was subject to a condition that the area of the application site “to the south west of a line parallel with the south west elevation of Station House shall remain unchanged and be reserved free from the development of all buildings, structures and other works
for the lifetime of the development”.
The application was approved on an 11-5 vote.
