Minute of the meeting of the Ross, Skye and Lochaber Planning Applications Committee held in the Dundonnell Hotel, Dundonnell on Tuesday, 14th September at 1230 pm.

 

Committee Members Present

 

Mr Billy Barclay
Mr Donald Cameron
Mrs Isabelle Campbell
Mr David Chisholm
Mr Bill Clark
Mr Eddie Hunter
Mr Ian Renwick

 

Non-Committee Members Present:

 

Mr Richard Greene
Mrs Jean Urquhart

 

Officials in attendance:

 

Mr Dafydd Jones, Area Planning and Building Standards Manager
Miss Sally Morton, Planning Officer
Mr Bryan Stout, Principal Engineer (TECS)
Mr Robin Fraser, Environmental Health Officer
Mrs Karen Lyons, Principal Solicitor (Clerk)

 

Mr David Chisholm in the Chair

 

Business

 

1. Apologies for Absence

 

Apologies were received from Mr Peter Cairns, Mr Hamish Fraser, Mrs Isobel McCallum and Mrs Audrey Sinclair.

 

2. Planning Application to be determined relating to a Site Visit

 

2.1 Applicant:  Escape Lodge Ltd (10/00089/FULRC) (PLR-073-10.Part 1 (714kb pdf)  |  PLR-073-10.Part 2 (826kb pdf)  |  PLR-073-10.Part 3 (1306kb pdf))

Location: Land 600 m East of Rose Cottage, Dundonnell
Nature of Development: Erection of Lodge, 8 Holiday Letting Units, Service Building, Formation of Access Roads and Associated Services

 

Prior to the meeting, a site inspection involving all those Members and Officers referred to above and representatives of the applicants and objectors commenced at the Dundonnell Hotel at 1045. Following the site inspection the Committee reconvened at the Dundonnell Hotel to determine the application.

 

There had been circulated Report Nos PLR/067/10 and PLR/073/10 by the Area Planning and Building Standards Manager recommending the grant of the application subject to the conditions detailed therein.

 

The Clerk indicated that the correspondence received in advance of the meting from interested parties had been circulated to Members of the Committee and the two letters received on the day of the committee were circulated to Members for their consideration.

 

The Area Planning and Building Standards Manager introduced the report identifying the site and local features; pointed out the location of the lodge, the 8 holiday units, the composting toilets and service building; indicated the documents lodged in support of the application; intimated that further signatures had been added to the petition already lodged, referred to the additional correspondence received since the supplementary report was written and suggested an additional condition regarding provision of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDs).

 

The Principal Engineer (TECS) identified the location of the access to the application site and confirmed that TECS had looked at the whole road, not just the access point when responding to the planning consultation. He referred to the recent timber extraction which had occurred without any reported problems and indicated that it would be for the developer to negotiate with TECS as regards construction traffic given the weight limit and with landowners if a laydown area/transfer station is required. On this subject the Area Planning and Building Standards manager advised the Committee that impact on the road as a consequence of use by construction traffic can be controlled under s96 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.

 

Members asked questions as regards usage of the road and bridges by construction traffic, clarification was sought that the road was adopted and that the repair works were due to be carried on a damaged bridge.

 

The Environmental Health Officer commented on the private water supply and the details submitted. As regards the protection of existing water supplies this was confirmed to be primarily a civil matter between the parties concerned. A yield report would require to be produced for the new boreholes to establish their suitability. The water supply to existing properties was identified as being above the holiday units and therefore unlikely to be affected by any run off from the access road.

 

There was a discussion about the size, design and location of the lodge and the assessment of the visual impact of the lodge both initially and after the landscaping had matured. The Area Planning and Building Standards Manager confirmed that, although SNH did have some concerns about the local visual impact, SNH did not object to the application, being of the view that the development would not impact on the setting of the National Scenic Area.

 

During the debate members:

 

  • Indicated that this was difficult decision to take given that there were arguments for and against granting planning permission
  • Expressed concern about the location of the lodge
  • Indicated that they wanted to control the phasing of the letting units to prevent 8 unfinished units
  • Confirmed the importance of the development blending into its surroundings
  • Asked the Area Planning and Building Standards Manager to identify the proposed suspensive conditions

The Committee agreed to grant the application subject to the conditions as amended and detailed in Report Nos PLR/067/10 and PLR/073/10 and subject to additional conditions securing (1) the phasing of the holiday letting units (no more than three letting units to be under construction at one time) and (2) the approval and delivery of a Sustainable Urban Drainage System.

 

There being no further business the meeting closed at approximately 1345.