Ribbon Homes wants to build 12 houses on land off Marlefield Grove in Tibbermore, near Perth – a site which forms part of the Tippermuir battleground, the scene of a famous 1644 clash between Royalist and Covenanter armies.

However the scheme was rejected by Perth and Kinross Council after complaints from residents regarding the design of the buildings.

Councillors went against planners’ recommendations and rejected the plan on the grounds that it “does not respect the character and amenity of the place” and represented an “over development of the site”.

Historic Scotland did not object to the housing plan, although the organisation urged planners to consider the development’s impact on the site of “national importance”.

Now Alloa-based Ribbon Homes has called on the government to overturn the decision and are also demanding expenses from the local authority, claiming its councillors acted “unreasonably”.

In a letter to Scottish Ministers, agents for the firm said: “The proposal is fully supported by the council’s development quality manager and there has been no objection to it from the council’s internal and external consultees. It is compliant with all planning policies.

“The application, however, was refused by the planning committee on the basis it would harm the character of the area, in terms of density and access.

“In our view, there is absolutely no basis in planning policy, national or local, to support such a conclusion.”

A follow-up letter calls for an award of expenses against the council.

A spokeswoman for Holder Planning, representatives for Ribbon Homes, said: “In choosing to disregard the officer recommendation for conditional approval, the committee ignored the clear advice from a range of statutory consultees… none of whom objected to the development.

“It is therefore submitted that the council acted unreasonably, that it should never have been necessary for the appellant (Ribbon Homes) to appeal this decision and that they have incurred unnecessary expense and delay in pursuing the appeal.”

A member of the Scottish Government’s planning and environment and appeals division will visit the site of the row later this month.

Officials are expected to deliver their verdict by the middle of March.