Points to include in your letter

The points shown further down are all valid and you can use some or all of them in your letter as you see fit.

You should address your letter to:
Craig Jardine, Planning Officer, LLTNP Headquarters, Carrochan,
Carrochan Road, Balloch G83 8EG

You should ensure your letter contains the following planning reference and description:

Reference: 2011/0256/PPP

Description: Erection of housing development incorporating affordable/local needs. Land To Rear Of Gartocharn Church Adjacent To France Farm Gartocharn

You can also make comments about this application online.

 

Points to use in your letter:

National Park aims and policies:

• It is outside the “village envelope”

• It is within a National Scenic Area

• It is close to the Loch Lomond Special Protection Area, and the field is frequently used as a feeding ground by Greenland White-fronted Geese

• It runs completely counter to the National Park’s first and over-riding stated aim – “to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area”

The Access:

• The owner of the field claims to have right of access by the track down the side of the Millennium Hall, but this is still doubtful as the ownership of that track is unknown.

• The owner does have an undisputed access on a 3 metre strip behind “Ardenvohr”, but this is not mentioned, making one wonder why they acquired this, if they do have right of access on the track.

• Most importantly that track is the start of the much-used Aber Walk, so walkers are going to compete with construction traffic for a long period, and then with the traffic from 11 dwellings, all with consequent safety issues

 

The Millennium Hall:

• This much-loved and much-used community centre has one over-riding attraction to its many users – it’s wonderful panoramic view over a peaceful pastoral landscape to the waters, islands and mountains of Loch Lomond – a view which this development will ruin, and which is currently enjoyed by the public both inside and outside the Hall.

• The Hall’s car-park is situated on the opposite side of Church Road. Crossing currently is only interrupted by the rare passage of vehicles to only 2 dwellings. This proposal adds a further 11 dwellings, plus a long initial period of construction. The safety of users is a concern, many of them being children and the elderly.

• The construction phase would give rise to long and noisy inconvenience to the Hall on 3 sides. (This inconvenience would be equally suffered by all other residents of the very narrow Church Road plus France Farm and Duncryne Terrace).

• The housing estate would produce light pollution, and sound pollution (the latter especially during construction).

• Noise from the Hall itself at evening events has always been a delicate matter, as it can be heard quite clearly by the residents of France Farm. Of the proposed dwellings, 9 of the 11 are actually closer to the Hall, and their eventual residents are certain to complain frequently, with the possibility of Hall events being curtailed or even banned.

• For all the above reasons, the proposal is a dangerous threat to the Hall’s viability, and thus to its continued existence.

 

Summary:

Virtually all the above points were made in objections to the earlier application (withdrawn by the proposer in May 2011), and all still apply. This applicant alleges that he has answered the earlier objections, but all he has done is move the development sideways to ruin slightly less of the view, and proposed a speed-bump on Church Road and a chicane on the track.