A man determined to set up an apple cider production facility between two Perthshire villages will attempt to convince councillors to back the scheme later today (Tuesday).
The local authority has twice refused to grant James Neill consent to create the “pick your own fruit” facility, plus a farm shop on the B9099 between Luncarty and Stanley in the last fourteen months.
PKC planning officer Andy Baxter assessed and then refused both of Mr Neill’s applications last year after twice concluding the development would look out of place in its proposed setting.
He said in his first report of handling the facility would be “an incongruous, isolated development” and said in his second report a revised layout suggested by Mr Neill “would result in more of a landscape impact than what was previously considered”.
However, Mr Neill has asked the council’s Local Review Body to take another look at his proposals and consider overruling Mr Baxter. The committee is made up of just three councillors and two will need to support Mr Neill’s plan to stand a chance of being passed.
Responding to both Mr Baxter’s refusals in a form the committee will review today, Mr Neill and his colleagues say they believe there has so far been “a misunderstanding in the status of our business, and the subjective areas of the planning regulations have been interpreted in an unjustifiably negative way”.
Their response goes on: “We also do not believe appropriate recognition has been given to the material benefits this project has for the environment, economy or local community.
“We have, as part of this appeal, submitted a number of updated documents to reflect the passage of time and provide responses to comments made within [Mr Baxter’s] delegated report.
“Should there be a requirement for further information or clarification we would welcome the opportunity to provide it.”
And it concludes: “We have tried to understand why the planning application[s] was refused and perhaps it relates to setting an unwanted precedent but the unique connection between the site and the Lass O’Gowrie apple ensures a precedent is not being created.
“We are also concerned that due to poor communication (by both parties) and activities of developers who have tried to circumvent planning regulations by including a house in an application, and then failing to complete other parts of the application, have created a background which could detrimentally influence the review board’s decision.
“We are not property developers and from the very start have honestly stated our requirement is to make an income by working, and by necessity living on, the land.”
The Local Review Body meets at 2 High Street at 10am today.
