FEARS have been expressed that woodland walks enjoyed by residents for many decades will be lost forever under a development plan for a historic Peebles estate.

Community leaders are concerned that the attractive tree-filled Kingsmeadows estate lying beside the river Tweed will become out of bounds to the general public.

But the owners of the 30-acre landed property insist this is “scaremongering” and that the public will be free to roam the grounds when work is completed.

Granton Homes, who bought the estate from pensions and insurance giant Standard Life last year, have made a planning application to construct a 12-apartment building adjacent to Kingsmeadows House. The 18th century house itself has already been converted into 12 flats. 

The developers have also applied for cutting back and long-term management of the protected woodland that forms most of the estate.

Peebles Community Council planning chairman Crick Carleton said: “We have increasing concerns that this estate is being developed as a gated community with no public access to the river bank or forest paths within this key area adjacent to the town centre.

“Under the ownership of Standard Life the accommodation units of the main building and the steading have been made available over many decades as holiday lets for the use of Standard Life employees, and use of the estate and its facilities encouraged.

“Over several decades such use has also been informally available to and used by local residents. We are of the view that the public should continue to have access to the woodland walks on this estate.

“In addition, and as previously raised in our consultation response on the proposed change of use of the main building from holiday lets to residential, we are concerned that plans are being presented in an ad hoc manner, without clearly laying out the overall plans for development and management of this estate.

“This has particular relevance given the location of this estate so close to the centre of Peebles, but also because the eastern edge of the estate has been identified as a possible routing for three out of the four alignments of a second bridge and road spanning the Tweed.

“Once again, we are strongly in favour of development of a multi-use pedestrian/cycle/ equestrian path and bridge along this route, whether or not a road bridge is built.

“This once again raises the issue of public access to the paths and woodland of the estate, but also the issue of 'planning gain’, should the proposed development of this second block of apartments be consented. There is also the issue of the proposed second gated entrance to this new block, which would join the Kingsmeadows Road near an awkward bend in the road, and so close to the proposed second bridge routing.

“Finally, we are concerned that the application for tree cutting/pruning/ management is too vague and open-ended – particularly given that this is a protected woodland, lies within the Peebles Conservation Area, and has been subject to detailed survey, appraisal and mapping.

Alan Mawer, of Granton Homes, said: “People should have no reason to be concerned - there is a bit of scaremongering going on here. They will be free to roam the estate when our work is completed.

“The estate won’t have closed gates and we are building another approach road which will also be open.

“The idea is that people will be able to walk in and out of the woods at their leisure. They will be free to generally go where they wish though I would hope they would have some consideration for the people living there. I wouldn’t expect them to sit on the river bank right outside somebody’s apartment.”

Mr Mawer added that a number of trees would have to be “attended to” but he insisted: “This is proper woodland management and we will not be chopping down trees.

“This ia a long-drawn out process and our tree surgeon will be nothing without council approval. I must stress no-one cares more about the woodland than we do.”  

Five of the 12 apartments in the mansion house have already been sold and they are expected to be ready for habitation in December,