New Age Developers Ltd seek planning permission (Ref. 12/04302/FUL) for 6 masionettes and 13 flats on land 42 metres north of 117 Bellevue Rd.
This comprises the former Council-owned car park and ruin next to the bottom playground at Broughton Primary School (Breaking news, 4.5.10; 19.5.10).
Plans by agents McLaren Murdoch & Hamilton show 4 storeys above ground level, matching the adjacent tenement in height, and 19 car parking spaces situated to the rear (north-west corner) of the site and reached through a pend.
An existing 1800mm retaining wall between the site and playground would be retained in parts (with chain linking above removed), and supplemented elsewhere with combinations of new wall and wooden board fence to the same height.
Spurtle is pleasantly surprised by the amount of open space envisaged between the new development and its neighbours on all sides. In addition to private gardens, a 600 square-metre 'public open space' (by which is probably meant space shared between residents) is shown between the building and Claremont Court.
The site is a sensitive one, given its proximity to Broughton PS and its vehicular access across a safe-routes-to-school pavement. Providing 19 new car parking spaces here may therefore raise eyebrows.
However, at first glance these proposals seem inoffensive to look at and not too greedy in terms of how much building is fitted onto the available land. We suspect many locals will be more relieved than appalled.
New Age Developers Ltd was incorporated in Scotland in 2009 and lists its activities as buying and selling its own real estate. Its registered address is at 37 Queen Street.
Locals may remember architects McLaren Murdoch & Hamilton for their design of apartments at the junction of Hopetoun Street and McDonald Road (see below). Some people love this development, and love living here. Others have misgivings about its scale, massing, and style, the type and colour of its materials, and the low-maintenance tedium of open space at its centre.
-----Reaction on Twitter------
@theSpurtle 'low maintenance tedium' :D Much better to have tenant allotments, safe play area, bicycle storage & maybe orchard. #useful
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