New Wallyford homes get go ahead
Taylor Wimpey said the latest phase of its house building will be its first East Lothian location using its new 'national house types' which include a mix of terraced, semi-detached, detached and two bedroom apartments to give a broader appeal to buyers.
Confusion surrounded the location of the housing at the council's planning committee after a report by officers into the site's background referred to a neighbouring site where plans to build 150 homes on a site earmarked as park land had been approved earlier this year.
That development was refused permission by councillors but was overturned on appeal by Scottish Ministers.
However council officers said the reference to the neighbouring site in the report was intended to give councillors background on the 'wider site history' rather than referring to the application by Taylor Wimpey for neighbouring land.
Councillor Cher Cassini raised concerns about which site was involved and was told by officers: 'Just to avoid any confusion this application isn't on the site which was previously marked out as open space, it is to the north of that.'
Councillor Cassini said that now the new Taylor Wimpey housing development was going to be next to another 150 homes instead of open space, it sparked concern about a lack of green places for new residents.
Concerns were also raised about the impact of the additional housing on road junctions serving the site.
A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey reiterated the land approved for the new housing they planned was not the area initially set aside for a public park and had, in fact, always been in the masterplan for the area as housing.
They said: 'Our application aligns fully with the approved masterplan and Planning Permission in Principle (PPP). The area granted consent under appeal is entirely separate from the scope of the current application.'
Speaking after councillors unanimously approved the new housing on the site, which is being named Dolphingstone Grange, Pauline Mills, technical director at Taylor Wimpey East Scotland, commented: 'We are pleased to have secured detailed planning consent for 93 homes from East Lothian Council, signalling progress for our Dolphingstone Grange development and another part of the Dolphingstone masterplan.
'This development also gives us the opportunity to introduce our new national house types to customers in East Lothian when they are launched for sale early next year, adding to the overall choice we can offer customers.'
The approval came as the company announced pre-construction work for its Ravensheugh Heights development in Wallyford has started with the project bringing approximately 700 new homes to the wider site.
The first homes at Ravensheugh Heights are expected to go on the market in the next few months from the existing sales information centre just off St Clements Wells in Wallyford.
The Dolphingstone master plan includes plans for new foot and cycle connections, fostering an active travel corridor to Wallyford and the local train station. Financial contributions of over £6.4 million will be made to fund education capacity and transport improvements, as well as a contribution of £186,000 to Network Rail for enhancements towards the rail link to Wallyford.
By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter
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