Plan to build East Ayrshire countryside bungalow refused

Plans were put forward to erect a three-bedroom detached bungalow on a plot on Lochlibo Road.

The proposal outlined creating a new access road and bridge over Duniflat Burn to connect to Lochlibo Road, near the A736.

A large part of the land was to stay in agricultural use, and the new dwelling was intended to support intergenerational farming continuity.

The applicant argued the development adhered to both local and national planning frameworks.

Promoted as a sustainable project, the house was to incorporate various off-grid features, including solar panels, a ground source heat pump, and rainwater harvesting.

The planning proposal also addressed environmental and flooding concerns and detailed a preliminary noise appraisal to update the council on noise issues from the nearby A736 and the railway line.

However, the plan was rejected on May 6, after the council decided it did not align with overarching policies within the East Ayrshire Local Development Plan 2 (LDP2) and the National Planning Framework 4.

The council deemed the applicant had not provided justified reasons to build a home within the Rural Protection Area where the site is situated.

The plot on Lochlibo Road will now remain as is, with its agricultural use intact.

Other considerations, like road access and drainage details, were also part of the plan but the rejection was primarily based on policy misalignment in the Rural Protection Area as stated by the council, not on technical grounds.

To view the application in full, you can go to East Ayrshire council's planning portal under the reference 26/0115/PPP.