The town of Perth, a settlement of 40,000 people located 70km north of Edinburgh, has given the go ahead to a plan to build a £1bn ($1.4bn) expansion.
The Bertha Park scheme was approved by local councillors after failing to attract a single objection. The 3,000 home scheme will now be developed by Scottish housebuilder Springfield Properties.
It will eventually cover 800-acres of farmland on the north-western edge of the town. Work will begin next year and be rolled out in phases over the next 30 years.
According to Springfield "by 2019 it will have a secondary school and a primary school will follow. There will be local shopping, hospitality, leisure and opportunities for other businesses. Features will include a loch and rolling landscape. Paths, cycle routes and public transport mean easy access to Perth".
The council meeting that approved the Springfield plan rejected another scheme to build 1,500 homes at Almond Valley.
This application, put forward by the Pilkington Trust, had received more than 80 complaints. Opponents have raised concerns about the size of the development and the loss of countryside.
The Perth Courier reported that committee members voted nine-to-four against the plan, but were warned by their own legal team that their arguments were not competent and would likely fail at appeal.
The Pilkington Trust confirmed it will take its case to the Scottish government.
Image: Springfield’s visualisation of its new development
