APPLICANTS planning a controversial housing development at a Peebles caravan car park must not be allowed to wriggle out of their financial obligations, a councillor has insisted.

Keith Cockburn, who represents the area on Scottish Borders Council, described it as “unfair” that Aberdeen Asset Management might not to have pay full developer contributions over the proposals to build 130 houses on parts of Rosetta Caravan Park.

The current predominant contribution requirements in Scottish Borders Council include for affordable housing, education and infrastructure.

However, Aberdeen Asset Management have already asked SBC to relax its usual rules which require the developer to provide 25 per cent affordable housing. The applicants claim this is necessary to allow them to fund a new bridge and road link required for the development.

Councillor Cockburn, who represents Tweeddale West, said: “I say that the full contributions should be paid.

“I understand that all types of housing are required by our growing population, but housing development also requires critical infrastructure, such as road and bridge assets yes, but also schools, medical facilities, public transport facilities, public utility services and much more. “Our cash-strapped local authority cannot be expected to pick up the tab for this, without developer contributions, which are a much needed source of income.

“In addition, I find it unfair that smaller developers in Tweeddale receive no respite from developer conditions, which at times makes smaller building projects unviable, while a larger developer may have a potential opportunity to avoid paying full contributions.

“An additional river crossing could be a valuable road asset to the town as a whole, but the proposed purpose of the bridge is to mitigate a potential traffic management problem, caused by the proposed development. The bridge therefore should be seen as an answer to a specific development problem, not as a contribution to the already creaking infrastructure of the town.”

Members of the public will have the opportunity to air their views about the development at a public meeting to be held at the St Joseph’s Neighbourhood Hall on Tuesday, September 15 at 7pm.

SBC gave planning permission in principle for the development in April despite opposition from the community council, Peebles Civic Society and 400 petitioners.

Councillor Cockburn said: “Whilst I understand the local opposition to the proposed development, the fact is that the planning permission in principle has already been approved.

“And whatever we think of the planning policies in place, the correct procedures have been followed, and a decision has been made by democratically elected members on the planning and buildings standards committee.”

He pointed out that the issue of full contributions is one of two key decisions yet to be made - the other stems from the approval being subject to conditions and specifically the condition that no housing development can commence before the completion of a vehicular bridge connecting Dalatho Street and Kingsland Road.

Councillor Cockburn added: “The proposed bridge would be subject to a planning application itself, and council officers and the elected members on the planning and buildings standards committee would have to be convinced that any application for a bridge would be safe and appropriate, in terms of traffic management.

“We are all aware that the proposed route to the bridge would be past a busy school, and through quiet residential streets. It would have to be proved beyond any doubt that this traffic could be safely managed.”