Plans for another house to be added to a hamlet in Kilcreggan have been given the go-ahead despite concerns raised by a councillor.
The application by Rosneath Farms Ltd for the site in Portkil had led to 10 objections by local residents.
Nonetheless, an Argyll and Bute Council planning official recommended that planning permission be granted, and that was the unanimous decision by the authority’s planning, protective services and licensing committee.
A report had said there was no need for a local hearing.
However, at the meeting yesterday Cllr Fiona Howard expressed reservations.
She said: “I am a bit concerned about this development, because this is the 17th house this developer has put in this hamlet over the last few years.
“That has more than doubled the size, one or two at a time. Because it has been done this way, they have not had to put in affordable housing.
“I took a run down to the site yesterday. It has massively changed and its character has been altered excessively, although I know this is not a planning issue.
“The road is very narrow, and there is no turning space at the bottom, which is a dead end. I see the extra traffic these houses have brought to the road, and I think this development really needs to be looked at.”
Council planning official Norman Shewan responded: “We have taken the size of the hamlet fully into account as part of the application, but as we have said, these similar developments have happened incrementally.
“Notwithstanding the site at the moment, we have to assess the application for one house, and in terms of future growth. In terms of future growth, these are areas of distinct character.
“The settlement boundary in the local development plan includes the original settlement and includes new development, so officers have to take into account that it is within the boundary.
“I cannot pre-empt future applications, but the settlement boundary is relatively tight around the existing properties. Any future applications would be likely to go outside it.”
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