Sorn homes: Catrine Road development to be approved

Plans were submitted to East Ayrshire Council by LMA Architects, on behalf of Campbell Homes, to build the new development on Catrine Road.

29 homes were initially earmarked for the site, but a revision has seen the plans change to 28.

The application could see Sorn's population increase by around a third.

READ MORE: Objections to plans for 28 new homes in Sorn

Campbell Homes purchased the site from the previous owner, Hope Homes, for an undisclosed price in 2021.

The plans, originally submitted in June 2022, have sparked a backlash from locals, with many voicing concern at the potential for road safety issues.

Others have pointed at the infamous housing development a short distance away in Woolmill Place, where 12 properties have lain abandoned after work began in 2007 - and ground to a halt soon after.

Plans for the new homes include a mixture of three, four and five-bedroom houses.

Objectors have been strong is voicing their opinions against the planned homes, every since they were first submitted.

Objections have centred around road safety concerns.

The proposed layout. (Image: East Ayrshire Council)

One objector said: "This [road issues] is an existing concern that will be exacerbated due to the increased number of vehicles over a prolonged period in laying the foundations, building the houses and then fitting out 29 new houses ready for the market, followed by the increased number of vehicles belonging to the occupants and from other vehicles."

Another objector added: "Traffic in the village would increase dramatically, 29 [now 28] houses will equal at least two cars per house.

"Local residents on the road already have to contend with large lorries travelling fast down the road for local quarry currently."

East Ayrshire Council's recommendation says that no concerns raised in consultations cannot be controlled via suitable planning conditions.

A transport statement attached to the application on behalf of Campbell Homes on June 9, 2023 references the 'Crashmap' site, which displays some reported traffic accidents in the area.

The statement attaches a graphic showing apparent incidents between 2017 and 2021, which says there has only been one 'slight' accident in that time.

However, upon checking this same site, it appears that a 'serious' incident occurred closer to the proposed development site in September 2022.

The transport statement says: "There are footways on both sides of Main Street and on Catrine Road adjacent to the proposed site entrance.

"However, there are no footways over the River Ayr bridge to enable a pedestrian connection to the centre of the village.

"For an earlier proposal for housing on the site, there was an agreement with East Ayrshire Council that the width of the carriageway over the bridge could be reduced to 5 metres and a 1.2 metre footway could be provided on one side of the road.

"As deliveries and other site traffic can be largely under the control of the developer, it would be prudent to agree a site traffic management scheme with Ayrshire Roads Alliance."

East Ayrshire Council's planning committee has been recommended to approve plans for the homes, at a meeting on Friday, May 31.

The application, along with supporting paperwork and all the public comments that have been made so far, can be found on the EAC planning portal by searching for the reference code 22/0420/PP.