RESIDENTS in Tarryholme are calling for a Judicial Review of North Ayrshire Council planning process - after finding out tenants were invited to apply for the new houses FIVE MONTHS before planning permission was approved.

The Tarryholme Residents Association have sought legal advice on how planning bosses managed to approved Irvine Housing Association’s plans for 87 new houses when, as The Times revealed last week, they had not carried out a mandatory Otter Survey, before plans were rubber stamped.

But residents have now also claimed that prospective tenants were sent letters in August 2017, telling them to apply for the Tarryholme new builds - two months before planning permission was even approved.

Homeowners in the estate say this proves their theory that NAC and housing chiefs had already decided the new houses were a ‘done deal’ behind closed doors.

Karen Wallace from Tarryholme resident’s Association said: “We feel that between these letters - which we have proof of - and the issue with the otters, that we have a real case here for a Judicial Review.

“We went along to every single planning meeting regarding this development and followed the procedures on objection and we just weren’t listened to. In fact, we were ignored and patronised as if our concerns weren’t valid.

“It makes you wonder whether this was a done deal before the planning permission was even granted.” However a spokesman for North Ayrshire Council insisted the planning process was all above board.

He said: “The application from Irvine Housing Association to build 87 properties to the north of Tarryholme Pond, Irvine, was processed fully in accordance with all statutory planning procedures.”

Last week the Times exclusively revealed plans to start building new council houses in the private estate could be delayed otters were ‘discovered’ living on the land.

In January, planning bosses at North Ayrshire Council approved an application from Irvine Housing Association to build 87 new social housing homes in phase one, with a further 113 planned for phase two.

However the Times revealed that neither NAC’s planning department or Irvine Housing bosses carried out an Otter Survey to determine whether building houses would disrupt the otters’ habitat – before the application was given the green light.

Under British law otters are a European Protected Species – which means it is a criminal offence to deliberately or recklessly disturb or ruin their habitat.

But planning and housing chiefs insist they carried out all the appropriate environmental checks before the application was passed, claiming the otters must have “moved in” afterwards and say there will be “no delays” with the development.

However these claims were heavily disputed by environmental experts who say otters have long inhabited both the River Irvine and Annick River - which meet at the ponds in Tarryholme - right on the development site.

Stuart Brabbs, trust manager and chief biologist for Ayrshire Rivers Trust said: “Otters have always inhabited the River Irvine and the Annick River.

“They have not just been discovered or ‘moved in’.”