PLANS for another phase of housing at a controversial Sauchie development have been lodged with Clackmannanshire Council.

Details for 51 houses and associated works at Branshill have been published on the local authority's planning portal.

It represents phase 1b of a nearly 54 hectare development, which was previously refused by elected members on Clackmannanshire Council's Planning Committee over inadequate education infrastructure amongst other issues.

That decision would later be overturned by the Scottish Government following an appeal; councillors then venting their frustrations with planning permission in principle granted for up to 1,000 new homes, subject to conditions.

Indeed, plans for what has been dubbed the Fairfield site have been in the works since 2010 when the original application was submitted.

Since the appeal decision, a formal notice was issued in May last year and a Section 75 legal agreement has been concluded to ensure an education contribution is paid to the local authority, which originally called for a new-build primary school on site.

It means developer contributions will be used to extend Craigbank Primary School, while land will also be safeguarded at the development to allow the council to construct a new primary school, should it wish to do so.

If the council does not pursue this option, in time the land will revert back to developer ownership and could be used for more housing.

A masterplan application for the whole site, adjacent to the B908, has also been submitted on behalf of Allanwater Developments in October 2023.

A supporting statement said that the “completed development will eventually deliver a robust new neighbourhood which will be traditional, legible, permeable and attractive”.

Phase 1 plans for 157 houses are also awaiting decision since being received earlier in August 2023.

The latest matters specified in conditions (MSC) application for the 51 homes as part of phase 1b have been submitted on behalf of Miller Homes.

According to a statement, it represents “a valuable opportunity to provide much needed new housing close to Alloa town centre and will respond to the existing character of the site, enhancing existing paths, retaining and responding to existing woodland and integrating with the existing community”.

Under current proposals, the development will be delivered in 12 phases with the first homes anticipated to be completed by November 2027.

The area retained for a potential school could fit some 90 homes.