Delight and disappointment as Airthrey Kerse development rejected

The proposal was initially rejected by councillors in 2016

Plans for a 600-home development at Airthrey Kerse in Bridge of Allan have been rejected the Scottish government.

Graham's The Family Dairy, the company behind the proposal, said they were "extremely disappointed" at the decision.

Planning permission for the development, which also included a new primary school, was previously refused by Stirling councillors in March 2016.

Green MSP Mark Ruskell said he was "delighted" at the news.

He said: "Today is a hard-fought victory for communities.

"It's a shame it has taken so long for the Scottish government to uphold a decision by Stirling Council taken over two years ago.

"Graham's Dairy should now cut their losses, focus on their plans at Kildean for a new dairy and talk seriously with the community about how this historic greenbelt can be brought under the stewardship of a community trust."

'Extremely disappointed'

More than 440 letters of objection were originally submitted. The plans attracted 76 expressions of support.

The dairy planned to use the development to finance a new facility in Stirling.

Graham's The Family Dairy managing director Robert Graham said the development would have created 500 new jobs for the local economy.

He said: "We are extremely disappointed by the minister's decision, which appears to place more importance on continuing to protect a failed Local Development Plan process than supporting the delivering of much-needed affordable homes, infrastructure and creating full-time jobs within the city and Scottish dairy sector.

"As a family business which has grown from 45 to almost 700 employees over two decades, we are disappointed that our £40m step-change investment that would have benefited the Scottish economy, as well as the whole Scottish dairy farming industry, will now not go ahead."