Peeblesshire News | News | Keep your hands off Lee Pen warn residents

Thursday, 28th August, 2008

Published: Friday, 8th February, 2008 12:30

Keep your hands off Lee Pen warn residents

By Caitlin Smith

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ANGRY residents in Innerleithen claim a proposed housing development could destroy the ‘beauty and tranquility’ of their town.

And they have sent out a stern warning – ‘Hands off Lee Pen’.

An application was filed last year with Scottish Borders Council to pull down the old farming buildings and construct 93 houses at Kirklands.

But locals are worried that not enough people in the town are aware of the application – and the wider implications that almost 100 mores houses would have on the local infrastructure.

Now, the planning department has received around 50 letters of objection letters from frantic residents who say the estate cannot be allowed to go ahead as plans submitted show the possibility of future extensions to this site.

While no formal application has been made, there is a chance that developers could be looking to build up to 500 units on the slopes of Lee Pen to the west, south-west and north-west of Kirklands Farm.

Kirklands resident Jackie Couchman recently joined the ‘Hands off Lee Pen’ group, which has started up a website and are leafleting throughout the community.

Mrs Couchman told the Peeblesshire News: “A number of people got together to discuss the plans and there was a strong feeling that people across the town were not necessarily aware of what was going on.

“So we took it upon ourselves to raise this awareness and let people know more about the potential consequences.

“If people feel strongly then hopefully they’ll write into planning.

“No letter is a wasted letter and if the department knows the strength of the feeling in Innerleithen they will be better informed when making their decisions.”

Mrs Couchman said that most of her neighbours in Kirklands didn’t object to the “small, sympathetic” which had been initially planned for the site.

But they questioned the need for larger development.

“To what extent is this development being driven by greed and to what extent need?” she wrote in her letter of objection.

A number of objection letters expressed their concern at the increase in traffic along Leithen Road and the subsequent risk of car accidents.

Others mentioned the devastating impact on wildlife, such as nesting herons, while some said the plans would destroy the “beauty and tranquillity” of the town.

One said the development would “look dreadful, unsightly and the landscape would be spoilt.”

Residents also questioned if St Ronans Primary School would be able to handle an increase in the number of pupils, since 67 houses have also been given the go-ahead at Clough Mill.

A substantial number of letters mentioned that additional housing would undoubtedly put greater pressure on local services, particularly the sewage pipe that runs from Innerleithen to the Walkerburn Treatment Plant.

While the Plant has capacity to process additional waste, there are fears that the pipe itself is in danger of leaking into River Tweed, especially if there was a rise in volume, though Scottish Water has denied this.

A Scottish Borders Council spokesperson said: “This planning application is still to be considered. “As with all applications, the Council will look at the plans very carefully and consider any objections submitted to us.”

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