Council officers decided the proposal conflicted with both national and local planning policies because the site lies within designated green belt land.
A proposal to build a small tourism development in the green belt near Braidwood has been refused.
The application, which was presented to councillors on today’s (May 12) planning committee, sought full planning permission for a rural tourism business on land east of Meadow Cottage, off Old Lanark Road near Carluke.
The development would include three glamping-style tourist pods, a lodge/caravan for staff accommodation, a workshop for bicycle repairs and maintenance and a stable block with two stables.
According to planning documents, the business was intended to offer cycling and equestrian tourism, allowing visitors to explore nearby countryside routes, bridleways and cycling networks.
However, council officers decided the proposal conflicted with both national and local planning policies because the site lies within designated green belt land.
Councillor Alex Allison (Clydesdale East), questioned the reasoning behind the refusal.
He said: “I’m a little bit concerned, we’ve had a number of these types of applications come through recently some of them have been refused because they don’t show a good enough business plan.
“We have one here who’s done something to try to improve the business plan, there’s a lot of businesses in the rural area. But the report suggests that it is so far away from Carluke that you’re going to need transport to get there, yet it’s supposedly still in the green belt. There’s a lot of contradictions here and yet again it’s another indication of when ideas do come up for the rural area, it’s very difficult, if not impossible to get a good application through and it really is concerning.
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“How are we supposed to develop businesses in the rural area for the people that stay there if we’re not allowing some of these things to go through?”
Council officials stated that every application is treated on individual merit. The site of this application does sit within the greenbelt and has to be assessed against the greenbelt policy, they said. Access to the site is poor and is a single track, therefore it does not comply with planning policies.
The report for the Planning Committee stated that while tourism and leisure uses can sometimes be acceptable within the green belt, applicants must demonstrate why such a location is essential.
Planners said the supporting information failed to justify why the business could not operate from a more suitable site outside the green belt.
The report noted: “A green belt location is not considered essential and, as such, the proposal could be located on an alternative site.”
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Officers also raised concerns that most visitors would likely rely on private cars due to the rural location, which they considered contrary to suitable planning principles.
The site itself is currently overgrown with vegetation and mature trees. Planning officers say the development would require substantial site clearance and would create an isolated cluster of buildings in an otherwise undeveloped area.
The report stated there are no nearby buildings with which the development could integrate, making it an “inappropriate form of dispersed development.”
Officers also said the application did not include sufficient information on expected visitor numbers, local tourism demand, or long term financial viability.
Consultation responses from council departments and agencies produced no objections from Roads and Transportation Services or Scottish Water.
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No public objections were submitted during the consultation process.
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