It’s time for Planning Ahead, our regular digest of all the most interesting recent Stirling Council planning permission requests. There are plenty of updates to applications that have featured in previous editions of Planning Ahead. One of them will be of great interest to Stirling locals who know their putters from their pitching wedges. But, before we get to the green, take a look at what else has been going on in the world of planning in and around Stirling. St Ninians housing one step closer As The Courier reporter last week, Stirling Council has just approved procurement for the design and building of 44 affordable properties at Graystale Road in St Ninians. Plans to erect new social housing on the St Ninians site were first approved in 2021, and planning permission was granted in August 2024. The spot has lain empty since council-owned four-storey tenement flats, originally built in the 1950s, were demolished 13 years ago. Sixteen one and two-bedroom cottage flats are planned, along with 24 two, three and four-bedroom flats within two-storey blocks. There will also be four accessible properties, ranging from two to four bedrooms each. Planning reference: 23/00718/FUL Planning permission renewal for Raploch church A request has been made to renew previously granted planning permission for work on St Mark’s Parish Church in Stirling’s Raploch area. Back in March 2022, Stirling Council approved a plan to extend and alter the existing church building. Demolition of an existing building to make way for a new multipurpose hall was also green-lit, along with garden landscaping. Legislation states that work must start on any agreed planning applications within three years of securing approval, which is why the St Mark’s plan has been resubmitted. This suggests that refurbishment will still go ahead in the future. Planning reference: 24/00779/FUL Proposed Kippen butcher shop conversion In December 2024, we wrote about a proposal to convert Kippen’s former butcher shop into a short-term holiday let. Skinner of Kippen, on Main Street, was devastated by a fire in July 2022. The property was then sold for residential use, and permission to convert it into a home was granted by Stirling Council in January 2024. Nearly a year later, a request to make it a holiday let was submitted. The designs showed the house would have two storeys and a garden or patio to the rear. Inside, it would have a kitchen and dining area, two bedrooms, a shower room, and a lounge. The December planning application was withdrawn recently, but the design has now been resubmitted by the same applicant under a new reference number. Planning reference: 25/00057/FUL Garden work for historic home near Stirling Castle Four-bedroom, four-storey 18th-century house Valley Lodge on Stirling’s Castle Wynd went up for sale in May last year, with prospective buyers warned that “significant upgrades” would be required. Its new owner has applied for permission to carry out landscaping work, as well as resurfacing the driveway and widening the access to the drive, making it easier for modern vehicles to gain entry. The application paperwork states that the work to the existing garden wall would be done by hand, not using machinery, and any large stones removed would be laid aside and stored for future use. Planning references: 25/00038/FUL and 25/00039/LBC Dunblane school chapel repairs shelved Last month, we told you that Queen Victoria School in Dunblane was seeking planning permission to carry out extensive works on its 112-year-old chapel. The application said necessary repairs to the A-listed building included replacing guttering, mending windows and doors and tending to stonework, roof slates, ironmongery and loose flooring. However, the request to Stirling Council has now been withdrawn. Planning reference: 24/00756/LBC Hole-in-one for Affordable Golf shop plan Golf equipment retailer Affordable Golf has had a spot on Borrowmeadow Road in its sights for around six months now – we first wrote about the planning application in August 2024. Now, the plan has been approved with conditions by the council. Located close to Springkerse Roundabout, the shop will supply both new and used items, including golf clubs, bags, trolleys, clothing, shoes and other accessories. An indoor practice area will offer golf lessons, and there will be a fitting service available for customers. With stores already open in Hillington, Irvine and East Kilbride and 25 years of experience, this will be the company’s first Stirling branch, with between five and seven staff members. Planning reference: 24/00699/FUL You can see the plans here: For more Stirling news and features visit our page or join us on Facebook