A Scottish Government intervention two and a half years ago which halted construction at Oudenarde was resolved earlier in the year and now Perth & Kinross Council planners have signed off on the next phase of more than 100 homes.

In 2018, Transport Scotland’s late intervention meant that the plans, finally approved on Wednesday, were put on hold.

Planners have earmarked the space north of the A912 for up to 1,600 houses, just over 100 of which have already been built.

With a traffic light solution agreed for managing vehicles accessing the motorway slip road beside the housing development, councillors unanimously agreed on the blueprints for the site.

Concerns had been raised by the Scottish Government transport agency over road safety at the main junction adjacent to the development and how potentially hundreds more commuters could impact the local infrastructure.

Councillors agreed that traffic queues will be managed by traffic lights which planners says should result in lower levels of queueing on slip roads, and that motorists won’t face any longer at the junction than they do now, The Courier reports.

At the same time, all vehicles entering onto the M90 will have sufficient time and space to accelerate to a safe speed before merging onto the main artery.

Construction is expected to restart at the former Bridge of Earn Hospital site and build 159 two to five-bedroom homes.

Willie Wilson, planning committee member, said that the delay took an “inordinately” long time.

He said: “Two and a half years to decide on some perfectly sensible issues about traffic lights seems to be an inordinately long time. I’m regretful that the whole scheme has been held up because of that.

“I hope that if there are more interventions by Transport Scotland, the Scottish Government or reporters, they deal with them more expeditiously.”