25-04-2025
Falkirk farm has house plan refused 12 years after getting permission
Falkirk Council refused to grant planning to build a house on a farm where planning permission had previously been granted - 12 years ago. Members of Falkirk Council's planning committee heard that since the permission was originally granted for the house at Hillend Farm, off Mosscastle Road, Slamannan, the Local Development Plan had changed, which meant the area is no longer allocated for housing. Planners said the previous permission was granted in 2013 but had expired in 2016 and since then there had been several policy changes, including major national guidance. While permission for countryside development can be granted if there are good reasons to override policies, members heard that no additional information had been provided that would support the need for another house on the farm. Any new application would also require an ecology survey as the the farm is very close to Slamannan Plateau Special Protection Area (SPA) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). NatureScot said some of the surrounding fields are visited by taiga bean geese, which are protected. The ecology watchdog said it would be opposed to the proposals unless mitigations, including hedging and a dog-proof fence were put in place. Baillie James Kerr said he had sympathy for the application which would see the new house being built among a cluster of farm buildings. He asked the committee to consider giving the applicant more time to submit information but only one councillor supported this. Councillor Gary Bouse said that while he also had sympathy for the situation, the new application had to looked at on its own and there were numerous policies that were against it. He proposed accepting the officers' recommendations that the planning permission should not be granted and this was accepted by the committee. For more Falkirk stories, sign up to our newsletter here .
