Concerns as plans are laid for housing estate with single access

Planned Linkwood estate would have just a single access road
Planned Linkwood estate would have just a single access road

COUNCILLORS WILL BE asked to back a major new housing development in Moray that has a single access road – just weeks after planning officials insisted another Moray housing development must have at least two.

Springfield Properties have been buying up land to the south-east of Elgin next to the Linkwood Distillery, where they plan to build a 106-home development.

However, according to people living on the adjacent Dunkinty the developers would be funnelling all traffic for the development from the estate leading on to Linkwood Road – the sole access route for the site.

Weeks ago members of Moray Council’s planning committee controversially approved another large housing estate in Lossiemouth on the casting vote of the chairman, despite protests from the Community Council and local residents that it would use existing cul-de-sacs as a main access as well as a new link road.

In that instance planning officials insisted that the route through the cul-de-sacs to Boyd Anderson Drive were required as the site needed to have at least two access roads.

Now Elgin Community Council are set to express their concerns over another new scheme in the region, with member Jim Wiseman already expressing concerns over the Linkwood plans.

“We believe that people in Elgin are concerned about the impact of developments like this,” Mr Wiseman said, adding that the Community Council was seeking further information on the impact it and several other ongoing projects would have on the town.

Springfield Properties insist that while there was only one access road in the initial plan that could change in the future.

Their land director Kenny Shand said: “Future road improvements, where required by Moray Council, are being safeguarded through the reservation of an additional strip of land along the proposed extensive green corridor set back from the public road.”

Details of the planned development can be found on the Moray Council website.