Edinburgh firm Cullross has been given permission to construct seven detached houses consisting of four and five bedrooms at Lour Road.

An existing building at the site will also be restored, to provide a further four-bedroom home.

The project design team includes jmarchitects, Goodson Associates – engineers, Hulley & Kirkwood – MEP consultants and IAS Landscape – landscape architect.

Cullross Ltd initially lodged plans in January 2023 to build 49 affordable homes at the site, situated beside Forfar Day Care Centre and the former Beech Hill House care home.

The affordable housing specialist acquired the 3.5 acres of land from Angus Council the previous year.

Mark Beaton, director of Cullross, told SHN last May that the original application was withdrawn following a review of community feedback, and was resubmitted with several changes, notably around ecology, trees and flood protection. The revised plan scaled back the number of properties to 44.

In April this year, the application was withdrawn. The company then completely changed its plans for the use of the site with this eight-home layout.

According to the application, the revised proposals have been prepared to take on board feedback, significantly reducing property numbers to “align more closely with the local character and meet the expectations of the community and local authority”.

Planning officials had recommended approval for the project including a condition for a footpath to be provided through the site.

The revised plan was unanimously approved by Angus Council’s development standards committee this week.

Councillor Lloyd Melville said: “We need more homes and this is a relatively small development which doesn’t add any significant amenity issues.”