The casual indifference repeatedly letting rural Scots down |
A curious planning refusal in Dumfries and Galloway encapsulates a casual indifference to the very real problems that exist in rural Scotland, writes Herald columnist Alan Simpson.
IT sits in rural isolation amidst some of the most fertile farmland in the whole of Scotland.
Milton in Dumfries and Galloway is one of those many places in the country where you could easily blink and you’d miss it.
Situated around six miles north-west of Dumfries and three from the village of Crocketford, it somehow survives despite having a distinct lack of local amenities.
In short, it encapsulates perfectly everything that is good - and bad - about living in rural Scotland.
But it is at the centre of a curious planning application to create a children’s residential care home which has just been thrown out by the Scottish Government.
It comes after Dumfries and Galloway Council (DGC) refused proposals to convert Corbridge House in Milton into a facility which could host up to four young people with complex needs.
Applicants CareTech argued that the building was ideal for a care home given its “tranquil yet easily accessible setting”.
Following the council throwing it out, the case was taken to the Scottish government but a reporter concluded it would be “heavily car dependent” due to its remote rural location and the appeal was dismissed.
Officials had recommended that councillors approve the plans in September last year but they turned them down.
The local authority received a string of objections arguing it would be “completely incompatible with the existing peaceful ambience of the area”.
The company behind the plans then decided to appeal against the refusal.
A Scottish government reporter dismissed some issues highlighted by nearby residents concluding there was “no evidence to support concerns raised in representations that children in care may be more likely to cause........