Irvine bungalow plan near Sikh temple rejected by council

Applicant Ruaraidh Johnstone had sought permission for the erection of a detached home and garage on land to the north-east of the new Guru Nanak Gurdwara, in George Court, just off Bank Street.

A single-storey four-bedroom house and double garage, as well as boundary fencing and the creation of private access, were proposed at the site around 250 metres west of Woodlands Primary School.

The two-hectare overgrown patch of ground was previously the Caledonian Race Track; it has been vacant since its closure in 1993 and is earmarked for dozens of potential new homes in the local development plan (LDP).

Planning permission was previously granted in 2007 for 20 semi-detached houses, 43 terraced homes and 18 flats; however, it has since expired, with no work having taken place.

A North Ayrshire Council report of handling said the proposed house and garage would "only occupy a very small area (284sqm) of the wider site".

In deciding to refuse the application, a planning officer said: "This would not be in keeping with the plot sizes of nearby residential properties along Bank Street to the south.

"Furthermore, while the proposed house design would be simple and not likely to result in any significant adverse visual impact to the amenity of the surrounding area, it would not be distinctive nor provide any visual interest to the site or wider area.

"Therefore, given the size of the site, its prominent location bounding recreational land to the north and residential properties to the south, the indicative capacity of the site for 60 units in the LDP, previous planning history for 81 units, and exceptionally plain and uninteresting design, it is not considered that the proposed development makes the most of the site and its opportunity for regeneration and placemaking."

The report also highlighted the need for more information on the site's nature and biodiversity aspects, which were not sufficiently covered in the preliminary ecological appraisal.