THE masterplan and first phase of houses are set to be approved for a major Sauchie development.

Representatives on Clackmannanshire Council's Planning Committee will on Thursday, May 2, be asked to approve controversial proposals for housing at the Branshill Road site.

Dubbed the Fairfield development, the proposals were previously refused by councillors in 2021 with the decision overturned on appeal the next year by the Scottish Government.

Two reports will be laid in front of the Kilncraigs chamber relating to the development – one for the overall site masterplan and another regarding the development of the first 157 houses, associated roads, footpaths, drainage and landscaping.

Both are “matters specified in conditions” (MSC) applications after planning permission in principle (PPP) was granted on appeal for up to 1,000 houses on May 16 in 2023.

Planning officers will be recommending that both applications are approved by councillors, subject to a raft of conditions.

The site is around 53 hectares in size and is mainly agricultural land, allocated for housing in the Local Development Plan, immediately to the north-west of Sauchie.

The masterplan broadly sets out the overall framework with nine, rather than the 12 previously reported, phases of residential development.

It is anticipated that the first phase of housing would be complete by the end of November 2027 with the final dwellings delivered by November 2039.

The development was previously refused as elected members determined that it failed to mitigate the impacts on the education estate.

Since the appeal decision, a legal agreement has been concluded to ensure a contribution is paid to the local authority, which originally called for a new-build primary school on site.

It is understood it means the council can either utilise developer contributions to extend Craigbank PS by five classes, to be paid in full before the occupation of the 300th house, while a piece of land must be safeguarded for the local authority to potentially build a new school on site rather than the extension to Craigbank, should it wish to do so.

If the council decides not to build a new school, the land will eventually revert to the developer to apply for more housing to be built.

As a result, two masterplans have been submitted, one with the area safeguarded for a possible primary school and one without.

Around a quarter of the site would be open space, including amenity and play spaces as well as sustainable drainage systems (SUDs).

The legal agreement in place also places a duty on the developer to contribute £250 per house unit for public art with a strategy to be agreed in writing before development begins.

A long list of concerns from three objecting neighbours have been addressed by planning officers in their report for the day.

The report regarding the first phase of housing said: “The application is considered to satisfy the requirements of the related PPP and comply with the relevant provisions of the Development Plan and it is concluded that there are not any material considerations which would justify withholding permission.”