A social housing development on the periphery of Fairlie, north of the bowling club, has been refused by North Ayrshire Council planners.
Fairlie Community Council had also objected to the Cunninghame Housing Association development by RDK Construction, and designed by Stewart Associates, for 20 new affordable houses.
NAC stated that the housing project was contrary to policies in the Local Development Plan, which identify appropriate sites for development, as there is an adequate supply of allocated housing land both within North Ayrshire.
The council ruled that that the proposal would represent ‘unjustified development in the countryside’, and does not constitute small scale growth of existing rural housing groups.
It was also pointed out by council planners that the development would have resulted in a ribbon development with the potential for visual and physical coalescence along the undeveloped coast, and ‘set an undesirable precedent’ for other unjustified development within the countryside.
Due to its scale, location and design, the development was deemed as unacceptable within the countryside, to the detriment of the visual amenity of the area, and create a significant adverse impact on the landscape setting of Fairlie; and due to the location would not offer an acceptable level of residential amenity for future occupants, given the proximity of the site to the A78.
Fairlie Communitiy Council stated that any affordable housing should be included within the Dawn Housing development to meet such demand, and added the green space between Fairlie and Largs enables Fairlie to maintain it’s unique character and environment.
Capacity for pre-school children already living in, or about to move to Fairlie at the local school was also raised as a concern.