Committee gives planning green light for Wormadale housing

PLANNING permission in principle has been granted for three detached houses at Wormadale after councillors gave the development the go-ahead.

The application went in front of Shetland Islands Council’s planning committee on Monday because of an objection from the Tingwall, Whiteness and Weisdale Community Council.

It objected over concerns relating to road safety and the density of housing for the location.

However, the council’s roads service raised no objection after a proposed layout was revised.

The community council claimed the current road infrastructure is “inadequate” to safely handle the additional traffic which would result from the houses.

It also said in its objection that the “resultant housing density would be inappropriate to the general environs”.

But the applicant’s agent Cecil Eunson said he was “extremely disappointed” to see their objection, “but clearly with three members of the community council living in Nesbister/Wormadale and totally against any development, it is not unexpected that nimbyism has raised its head”.

Speaking at Monday’s meeting he alleged they were looking to “blatantly delay development” in the area.

In October the planning committee also gave approval for a new house at the end of the road in Nesbister following another objection from the Tingwall, Whiteness and Weisdale Community Council.

Eunson said the SIC roads engineers did not raise an issue with the standard of the road for handling additional traffic.

He also said in a planning statement that the development was “very much in keeping with the immediate adjacent houses”.

There was no-one at the meeting representing the objectors.

Council planners recommended that the committee gave it planning permission and there was no debate – with members swiftly approving the application.

A report to members said: “On balance it is considered that the proposed development site is appropriately located within Wormadale for residential dwellinghouses in principle, taking into account the surrounding properties and the predominant development pattern in the surrounding area.”