An application for permission to build two houses in a North Lanarkshire village has been rejected by councillors.

The application, from Modern Housing Ltd, was for two semi-detached homes and seven parking spaces on land to the south of Heatheryford Gardens in Plains. Council officers recommended refusal because it would result in the loss of what they considered a valuable area of open space, as well as be detrimental to road safety.

A total of 13 objections to the application were received during the neighbour notification period, including three from the same household. Local councillors Alan Beveridge and Richard Sullivan also objected.

The objections raised a number of safety concerns, loss of green space, impact on neighbouring properties, overdevelopment on the site and also noted that an application to build a single house had recently been refused, in December 2022.

The council’s planning committee unanimously agreed with the recommendation and refused the application.