An application to build four houses in Reddingmuirhead has been rejected by Falkirk councillors after road safety fears were raised by neighbours.
The application was to build four houses on land to the south of Hillcrest Square, with access off the B810 Shieldhill Road.
The four houses are for a small piece of land beside Hillcrest Square and close to another much bigger site being developed by Persimmon at Forth Valley View.
Two nearby residents and local councillor Anne Hannah attended the meeting of Falkirk Council’s planning committee on Wednesday to speak against the proposal.
Roderick Graham, who lives in Hillcrest Square, told members that his main concern was the safety of the road, which has dips and a blind summit at the point where the access would be.
He said the volume of traffic was steadily increasing would continue to increase as the Persimmon development was completed and a dip in the road made visibility difficult.
“When the fog comes, the rain comes and the sun, you cannot see traffic,” he said.
Another objector, Nicola Welsh, also had concerns that the proposed houses now just have two parking spaces in order to leave room to turn.
“Where are the visitors going to park? Are they just going to stop in a blind dip, causing issues?” she asked.
Their concerns were echoed by Reddingmuirhead and Wallacestone Community Council, which had previously objected to the proposal due to the traffic.
Local councillor Anne Hannah told the committee: “I drive that road almost every day of the week so I can absolutely support what has been said by my constituents about how dangerous it is.”
She was also concerned that the pavement on one side of the road is used by many young people walking to high school.
“If that’s not an accident waiting to happen, I do not know what is,” she said.
Councillor Hannah also raised concerns about local schools including Braes High, which she said “is already creaking at the seams”.
Falkirk Council’s roads department said that they raised concerns and had recommended against granting the application, although they accepted having two access points was better than four individual entrances.
Baillie James Kerr said he was also familiar with the road and he moved a motion refusing the application due to road safety concerns.
Baillie Billy Buchanan proposed allowing the development to go ahead, supported by Provost Robert Bissett.
Councillors voted eight votes to two, with two abstentions, to refuse the development.
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