Cala Homes recently submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) to build almost one hundred properties on the old British Car Auction site at Bridgend in Kinross.
The homes will be gas-free, include EV charging points and will be in line with Cala Home’s urban wildlife strategy and biodiversity enrichment plan. Also within the proposal are plans to improve active travel routes between the High Street and Loch Leven car park and to deliver a community pledge to invest in the Kinross community. It is good to see that this 9.3-acre brownfield site is gaining interest as the local development plan had identified it as “white land” suitable for redevelopment for a range of uses.
I am very much aware that there are mixed feelings locally about the proposal. There are many who wanted the site to be a retail park development with amenities such as a Lidl store, but unfortunately these plans did not progress further. There are also ongoing concerns about the increasing size of the population in Kinross and that local services are not matching the pace of growth in the town. Residents have raised legitimate concerns that if this site is used for residential purposes there will be no land remaining for retail provision, and I am sure this will be a major focus during the next local development plan process.
I therefore hope residents were able to express their views to the project team during the public event on 29th October. The other consultation meeting scheduled for the 29th October at Loch Leven Community Campus was postponed and I understand a new date will be published within local communication channels soon.
I am pleased that the vacant site is gaining attention and that plans to revitalise it are in fruition. It is important, however, that whatever the site eventually becomes, it is broadly supported by residents and will both enhance and bring benefits to the local community. I am continuing to monitor the situation closely, alongside Councillor Neil Freshwater, and we would very much welcome your views on the future of the site in the meantime.
