Planning application lodged for new homes in Canonbie

21st Jul 2009

A formal planning application has been lodged this week for a proposed residential development at Riverside Park, adjoining the north side of the village of Canonbie, on a site bordered by Eskbank Wood to the north and west and by the River Esk to the east.

An extensive community engagement exercise has been undertaken to promote and discuss the proposals. This has included meetings with the Canonbie and District Community Council, contact with the local MP, MSPs and local councillors, as well as an extremely well-attended community engagement event held at the Cross Keys Hotel, where the feedback on the proposals from the local community was generally very positive.

The application has been lodged by Queensberry Properties Limited, a partnership between Cruden Homes, one of Scotland’s leading house builders, and Buccleuch Property, one of the country’s most established land and property experts.

The design of the scheme provides significant areas of public open space, with strong pedestrian links from the existing village through the development to the surrounding woodland and river.

A number of specific issues were raised during the community engagement process which, in cooperation with the local authorities, Queensberry Properties will seek to address at the appropriate time. These include general questions concerning access to the site, especially during the construction phase, alongside concerns about child safety in relation to the proposed re-routing of the Blethering Sike.

Preparations for the planning application have also included a full ecological survey of the site, including an underground tunnel adjacent to the river, which the local community council had expressed concern could be home to a colony of bats. However, the specialist survey of the site found no evidence of bats having been present or roosting in the tunnel.

The proposed high quality development will comprise up to 85 houses, to be built in phases, with a range of unique housetypes designed specifically for this site. There will be a mixture of single storey and two storey houses with 2, 3 or 4 bedrooms. The range of housetypes includes detached, semi-detached and short terraced units providing both variation and choice throughout the scheme.

The internal layout of the houses, their orientation and position within the site is intended to maximise passive solar gain and daylighting, hence ensuring that energy efficiency is a fundamental aspect of the development.

A number of shared surface courtyard areas are being proposed to ensure the public areas have a high quality finish and provide a sense of identity and character to the development.

Speaking on behalf of Queensberry Properties, Nick Waugh, Commercial Property Director for Buccleuch Property said:

“We’ve had extensive discussions with the local community about the details of this proposed development and we’re now really pleased to be able to bring forward a formal planning application.

“As well as bringing new lifeblood to the village and helping to sustain the local school, pub and post office, these plans incorporate a range of flexible housing which will help to meet strong demand in the local area. They will also help to resolve long-standing local flooding issues by re-routing the Blethering Sike watercourse.”