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Campaign grows against dairy's 'new town'

CAMPAIGNERS are planning a protest at a meeting to discuss controversial plans by a dairy firm to develop a greenbelt site in Stirlingshire.

Nearly 600 people wrote to complain about plans to build 800 new homes at the site owned by Graham's Family Dairy at Airthrey Kerse near Bridge of Allan.

The plan includes a new school, public park, allotments and sports pitches and the firm insists it will help secure jobs.

Campaigners have launched a website under the banner Save Bridge of Allan (SBOA) and are pushing for as many residents as possible to attend the meeting on September 26 in council chambers at Viewforth in Stirling.

They say the plan to build on the site – one of a number of alternatives in the area – should be dumped because it will ruin greenbelt land and cause traffic problems.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) also objects on the grounds it may "place buildings and persons at flood risk".

Duncan MacDougall, spokesman for SBOA, said: "I don't think it will go through in its present form after Sepa raised issues about flooding. Unless they have managed to get water to run uphill.

"Everything is going to hinge on the report from Graham's into the flooding issue."

In a statement, Graham's said: "We fully support the importance of addressing concerns and are committed to ensuring rigorous technical evaluation as the project is advanced for the benefit of Stirlingshire."

Contextual targeting label: 
Agriculture

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