Falkirk Council: Greenbelt houses raise fears over traffic and schools

Members of Polmont Community Council put their objections to members of Falkirk Council’s planning committee on Thursday evening, at a hearing to find out more about a planning application in principle to build 48 houses on greenbelt land at the western edge of Polmont.

The pre-determination hearing was called to give members of the committee a chance to find out more about the application from Manor Forrest Ltd to build 48 houses on land to the west of 21 Polmont Park, Polmont Road.

Michael Stuart, speaking on behalf of Polmont Community Council, said they had several concerns about the site, which is 3.5 hectares of open grassland.

These included the increase on traffic coming onto the A803, the main road through Polmont, “especially at peak times” and “well-documented problems with drainage capacity”.

Members are also concerned that the site is greenspace land and that the extra housing would put further strain on schools and health services as well as Polmont railway station.

The site was previously considered to become part of Falkirk’s local development plan but was rejected as recently as 2020.

A reporter to the Scottish Government concluded that development would “reduce the effectiveness of the green belt in protecting and enhancing the character and landscape setting”.

His report stated: “The green belt in this location separates Polmont and Grangemouth by approximately one kilometre; removal of this site would reduce this separation distance by just under 200 metres.”

He was also concerned that it would lead to increased development pressure on the remaining greenfield land between Polmont and the M9, which is within the buffer zone of the Antonine Wall World Heritage Site.

But the applicant’s agent Mr Bennie also had a chance to address the hearing and he disputed several of the reporter’s conclusions.

He said: “In my view, a number of the findings made by the reporter are incorrect or misleading with other findings having been overtaken by events.

“The development of this site will not reduce the separation distance between Polmont and Grangemouth and it is incorrect, factually, for the reporter to say this distance would be reduced as a consequence of the proposed development of this site.”

He also highlighted that neither Historic Environment Scotland nor the council’s museum service were objecting.

And he dismissed a comment from Falkirk Council’s road safety advisors that “accident statistics for this section of road display a high average accident severity ratio which would suggest extreme care would be required with any changes to the use of the road”.

Mr Bennie said this was “not supported by any evidence” whereas his client’s application was supported by a road safety audit which has raised no concerns.

Councillors have asked for more details on the issues raised, including road safety and the capacity of local schools, given that other developments in the area are also seeking, or have now been granted, planning permission.

Councillor Laura Murtagh also asked for more clarity on the applicant’s claims that the reporter was wrong to say that the separation distance between Polmont and Grangemouth would be reduced.