SCOTTISH Borders councillors are set to decide an application to build a new housing estate in Lauder.

Members of Scottish Borders Council’s planning and standards committee are due to meet on Monday to deliberate on proposals by Persimmon Homes to build 38 new homes just north of Thirlestane Drive.

The York-based housing developer first submitted plans for the site in June of this year, and they were met with criticism from residents who felt the proposed number of houses, 30, was too large and that pedestrian access would be unsafe.

Persimmon Homes has now revised their plans, with improvements made to pedestrian access, but has added an extra eight homes to the proposals.

Seven people have objected to the development, with a further four expressing concerns, including Kimberly Shaw-Walker, of Thirlestane Drive.

She wrote: “The site is not suitable for the volume of houses proposed. Services cannot cope with the number of units proposed.

“Health services cannot cope with the increased number of residents as per the proposed application. The school cannot cope with the increased number of pupils the proposed development will bring into the community.

“The land was to be held for a community purpose and it has never been openly considered for any other use, and to the best of my knowledge that is still in place.

“How can this application even be considered if this is not yet one more strategic move by the council to set aside the community’s express wishes for financial and political gain.”

Lauderdale Community Council has also objected to the plans, citing the number and density of the development. The objection reads: The developer’s proposal has too many houses. Scottish Borders Council’s local development plan puts the site capacity at 30.

“A 27% increase on this is clearly unacceptable.

“The scheme, as proposed, looks too dense and cluttered. The alternative layout suggested by the council’s landscape architect has slightly fewer houses and a less cluttered appearance.  

“If the development were to be consented, it should have a layout based on this but with fewer units.”

Despite the objections, council planning chiefs are recommending that the proposals be given the go-ahead, subject to conditions surrounding prior archaeological investigation of the site and pre-approval of the materials to be used during construction.