Houses being lined up for land next to farm at Stow

Edinburgh-based developer Hudson Homes has applied to Scottish Borders Council’s planning department for consent for those houses on a plot south of the town’s Wedale View and east of Stagehall Farm.

The land is earmarked for housing in the council’s current local development plan but only for 12 homes indicatively.

The houses being lined up, all detached, would offer two to four bedrooms.

Nine would be bungalows and the other seven would be two-storey family homes with three or four bedrooms.

That mix of housing types is said to have been decided on following an assessment of market demand in Stow.

The plans have sparked only one objection so far, but the closing date for comments from neighbours isn’t until Thursday, March 12, so others might well follow.

That sole objection to date has been registered by neighbour Andrew Park, of Wedale View, and has been prompted mostly by concerns about increased traffic and reduced privacy.

He writes: “In its current state of development, Wedale View consists of 26 homes. It is highly likely that the building of an additional 16 residential properties will bring with it considerably increased traffic volumes.

“An additional 16 houses represents an increase of more than 60% on the current number of homes. Thus, it would be fair to say that traffic entering and leaving Wedale View would increase by volume proportionately.

“Increased traffic flow would result in additional noise nuisance and introduce road safety concerns.”