Stirlingshire villagers slam auctioneer for 'disingenuous' housing claim on £46k green space

The Courier

23-05-2025

Strathyre residents say an auctioneer has 'disingenuously' been marketing green space opposite their homes for affordable housing.
Future Property Auctions claims the 1.6-acre plot opposite former forestry workers' houses on Keip Road has been earmarked for new homes.
Ben View plot three is currently listed with an opening bid of £46,000.
Accompanying literature says it is a 'potential development site' yet no planning permission is in place.
It adds: 'Site has been identified in consultations with the National Park planning authorities as a viable site for 100% affordable housing.'
However, according to Freedom of Information documents, the authority gave no such indication in pre-application discussions.
The documents, seen by The Courier, showed Line Architecture's design for eight affordable homes on the plot.
They also outlined a proposal for six bothies for holiday use on two smaller plots in nearby woodland.
In November 2023, an officer from Loch Lomond and Trossachs responded.
They wrote: 'Further information on siting, affordable housing, transport (including safe walking/cycling access to school), flooding and loss of open space would be necessary.
'No further assurances can be offered on the basis of the information currently submitted.'
However, Future Property Auctions continues to advertise the land for residential development.
The plot is regularly on the auction list since first going under the hammer on February 15 2024.
Residents claim the advertising is 'misleading'.
They say nothing can be built on the land as their title deeds state it will be 'retained as open space for recreational purposes' for residents.
The stretch of road leading to the properties is also owned and maintained by the locals.
One resident, Michael McGregor, told The Courier he had contacted the auction house to tell them the listing was 'disingenuous' but it was not changed.
He said: 'As far as we know, there's no planning permission and they won't get it.
'We all think it's a misrepresentation and that the advert is falsely claiming you can build there.'
His wife Angela says she and their neighbours found out on February 14 last year, the day before the first auction, and had no prior warning.
The current auction is for May 29 with an opening bid of £46,000.
'I can't see it ever getting permission,' she said. 'There's no amenities, there's nothing on that site. And we're in charge of the upkeep of the road.'
Helen Hunter has lived opposite the land since the 1990s and agrees the land can't be built on.
A plan to erect four houses on the land was refused in 1999.
She said: 'That has to be kept for the use of the people of Keip Road. It's in our lease.'
Allan McGregor believes the advert is 'spreading misinformation'.
He says the previous owner of the land was happy for Keip Road residents to use it in exchange for its upkeep.
Mr McGregor told The Courier: 'If someone put forward a planning application to put something there they wouldn't get it because 90% of us would say 'don't'.
'It's never going to happen and it's as simple as that.
'If someone buys it on an auction site, they're going to have a huge problem.'
A spokesperson for the national park authority said: 'No planning application has been submitted to the national park authority for development on this site.
'A pre-application enquiry was received in 2023.
'It confirmed that housing policies of the local development plan give support to affordable housing adjacent or close to towns where there are no other opportunities for housing development within the town or village.
'However, there is no 'allocated' sites for housing in the local development plan for Strathyre.
'Any future planning application would be assessed against all relevant policies of the development plan, including those relating to open space, flooding, landscape and the natural environment.
'These considerations were also highlighted in the pre-application response.'
Future Property Auctions was approached for comment.