New Coylton housing development gets green light despite flooding and road safety fears

More than 50 new homes will be built in Coylton after councillors gave developers the go ahead.

A total of 53 houses will be developed at Manse Road, made up of 40 private homes and 13 affordable homes. Planning permission had been granted “in principle” in 2019.

Five objections to the development were submitted with two residents, David and Jill Baird bringing their concerns to South Ayrshire Council’s regulatory panel last week.

Mr Baird said he was objecting on a number of aspects, including road safety, flooding and drainage issues.

He suggested that access to the A70 from Manse Road was a safety issue, as the junction provided poor sight-lines for traffic leaving the development.

Mr Baird added that “the drainage doesn’t cope in times of heavy rain” and stated that sandbags have been required to prevent flooding of his and his neighbours’ properties.

He said that existing problems would be exacerbated by the addition of more housing. He claimed that the drainage system was a “good idea”, but added that the flooding was happening further up the slope of the site.

He also said that a neighbour had dug a ditch to drain the water, but that this had not been maintained.

Jill Baird also pointed out a significant rise of the number of vehicles using the A70 junction would increase the likelihood of an accident.

Mrs Baird suggested there needed to be more work to ensure the infrastructure around Coylton was sufficient to deal with the increased population.

She added that school capacity was an issue as the local school had “no room for any more kids at the present moment”.

Planners responded that the education service had indicated there would be sufficient spaces in the Coylton catchment area.

Mrs Baird also suggested there could be issues with the single point of access to the development.

She pointed out that there was originally a loop road proposed and questioned the impact that an incident, such as a burst water pipe, would have if there was only one exit.

The applicant told the panel that the second access point had been removed from the application as it was sited at a stretch of road with poor sightlines.

The development also includes open space, landscaping, footpaths and a play area.

Ayrshire Roads Alliance and Transport Scotland raised no objections to the proposal, either in terms of the road itself and potential drainage issues.

Responding to the objection relating to drainage, the applicant explained that the drainage basin was being upgraded and would actually improve the situation as the site did not previously have a drainage system.

It was also added that a single access point was deemed enough for up to 100 homes, significantly higher than the development would create.

The planners recommendation to the panel stated: “It is considered that the characteristics of building design, the overall layout of the development and the disposition of the amenity open space will deliver a sustainable and attractive environment which does not have a significant adverse impact on the amenity of the neighbouring residential areas.”

They added that conditions would address the issues raised.

The panel unanimously voted in favour of granting the application.