A fresh row has erupted over Dunblane’s Holmehill as the owner lodged a new planning application for a house on the land.

Landowner Allanwater Developments Ltd (AWD), which bought Holmehill in 2006, has last month submitted plans for a nearly 1000 sqm six bedroom house, complete with a games room, cinema, sauna, swimming pool and underground garage and a local campaign group is urging residents to object to the application.

The Holmhill Community Buyout campaign group has been looking to purchase the woodland for over 10 years for the benefit of the local community as much green space has been lost in the town over the years.

In its Open Space Strategy for 2012-17, Stirling Council designated the area as an “Open Space and Green Network”.

David Prescott, chair of the buyout group, said: “It is vital that this application is rejected to retain the much valued open space on Holmehill so everyone can enjoy it in the future.

“Rejection will also support the principle of maintaining properly consulted and considered planning designations and not allowing developers to literally bulldoze their way through the democratic planning processes.” Reacting, an Allanwater Developments spokesperson said: “We wish it to be brought to the public’s attention that the Holmehill Community Buyout Group have been offered the chance to purchase Holmehill on numerous occasions over the past years.

“This was offered to them both in writing and at meetings chaired by the then leaders of the council. We have to this date yet to even receive the courtesy of a reply. If they are as their name suggests, surely its time they put their money where their mouth is. Otherwise I suspect they are simply more interested in subverting the planning process themselves to prevent any sensible development.

“There is mention of loss of public open space. This again is misleading. Holmehill is not in public ownership. It is privately owned and only has an absolute right of access over the core path that runs through the middle of the site, joining Perth Road to Braeport.

“In terms of planning the site has a long and documented history of Holmehill house occupying the site. This use and occupation pre-dates any current local plan. The current application simply proposes the reinstatement on the original foot print with a modern version.

“To be accused of ‘bulldozing the planning system’ is somewhat offensive. We have made an application in the normal manner and expect it to go through the normal due process.” It is understood that the developers previously lodged plans with Stirling Council in 2013 for an office building, but the plans were then rejected.

The spokesperson for the developers added: “We also wish the public to know that around 11 years ago the buy-out group went through a court procedure to try to buy out the land and the Sherriff ruled against them saying they were trying to subvert the planning procedure and this was not the purpose of a community buy out.” According to the buyout chairman AWD told them they can buy the land for “£1 million”, but this claim was denied by the developers.

Full details can be found on Stirling Council’s planning portal by using the reference number 15/00450/FUL.