Committee Members Present

Mr Donald Cameron

Mr William Clark

Mrs Biz Campbell

Mr Eddie Hunter

Mrs Audrey Sinclair

Officials in attendance:

Ms Susan Poole, Team Leader, Planning

Mr Jim Tolmie, Area Roads and Community Works Manager

Mr Alaisdair Mackenzie, Area Solicitor

Mr Andy Donaldson

Also in attendance on site:

Mr Duncan Kelly, Agent for the Applicants

Mr K Slater, for the Applicants

Mr Z Slater, for the Applicants

Mr M Gardiner, Objector

Applicant

Location

Nature of Development

2.1

Holme Park Developments (Application reference No 07/00486/FULLO)

Woodlands,

22 Achintore Road,

Fort William

Erection of 18 Two Bedroomed Apartments

1.

The new access to the site shall be formed and the existing access closed off before any works commence on site.

Reason: to ensure that the use of the existing access is discontinued and the safety of traffic on the trunk road is improved.

2.

The gradient of the access road shall not exceed 1 in 40 metres for a distance of 10 metres from the nearside edge of the trunk road carriageway, and the first 10 metres shall be surfaced in a bituminous surface and measures shall be adopted to ensure that all drainage from the site does not discharge onto the trunk road.

Reason: To ensure that the standard of access layout complies with the current standards and that the safety of the traffic on the trunk road is not diminished.

.

3.

The proposed access shall join the trunk road at a new junction which shall be constructed by the applicant to a standard as described in the Department of Transport Advice Note TA 41/95 (Vehicular Access to All-Purpose Trunk Roads)(as amended in Scotland) complying with Layout 3. The junction shall be constructed in accordance with details that shall be submitted to and approved by the Planning Authority after consultation with the Roads Authority before any part of the development is commenced.

Reason: To ensure that the standard of access layout complies with the current standards and that the safety of the traffic on the trunk road is not diminished.

4.

The access gate shall be located at least 6 metres from the adjacent trunk road carriageway and the gate shall only be capable of opening away from the road.

Reason: To ensure that accessing vehicles can stand clear of the trunk road carriageway when the gates are being opened or closed.

5.

Prior to the commencement of works on site the visibility splays shall be provided and thereafter maintained in perpetuity on each side of the new access. These splays are the triangles of ground bounded on 2 sides by the first 4.5 metres of the centreline of the access driveway (the set back dimension) and the nearside trunk road carriageway measured 120 metres (the y dimension) in both directions from the intersection of the access with the trunk road. In a vertical plane nothing shall obscure visibility measured from a driver’s eye height of between 1.05 metres and 2.0 metres positioned at the set back dimension to an object height of between 0.26 metres and 1.05 metres anywhere along the y dimension.

Reason: To ensure that drivers of vehicles leaving the site are enabled to see and be seen by vehicles on the trunk road carriageway and join the traffic stream safely.

6.

Prior to the commencement of any works on site full details of the methods for dealing with surface water drainage shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority, in consultation with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Roads Authority and Scottish Water.

Reason: In order to prevent localised flooding and to adequate dispose of surface water from the development.

7.

Prior to the commencement of works on the construction of the flats hereby approved full details of the external colour scheme for the buildings shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. Such details shall show each block with a different colour scheme, devised from the same colour palette. Thereafter the buildings shall be finished in accordance with the approved details, prior to the first occupation of each building, and maintained in perpetuity unless otherwise first agreed in writing by the Planning Authority.

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity in order to break up the appearance of these three identical building.

8.

Prior to the commencement of works on the construction of the flats hereby approved full details of the location and design of the proposed bin stores shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. Thereafter the bin stores shall be erected in accordance with the approved details prior to the first occupation of the flats.

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity.

9.

Prior to the commencement of works on the construction of the flats hereby approved a scheme of hard and soft landscaping for the site shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. All approved planting and seeding shall be undertaken in the first planting season following the first occupation of the development and shall thereafter be maintained in accordance with the obligations set out in the associated Section 75 Agreement. Any plants which, within a period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed, or become seriously damaged or diseased, shall be replaced in the immediately following planting season with others of a similar size and species.

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity to help integrate the development into its landscape setting.

10.

Prior to the commencement of construction on each residential block the finished floor level of the building shall be agreed on site with the Planning Authority. The floor level shall be such that the ridge height of three residential blocks hereby approved shall not exceed the ridge height of the house to the north east of the site known as ‘Glenview’, unless otherwise first agreed in writing by the Planning Authority.

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity in order to help integrate the proposal into it’s townscape setting.

11.

Prior to the commencement of work on site full details of the finalised parking arrangements shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. Such details shall include a minimum of 36 car parking spaces together with the provision of a large vehicle service bay within the site. Thereafter the car parking and service bay shall be fully formed in accordance with the approved details prior to the first occupation of the flats and retained in perpetuity, unless otherwise first agreed in writing by the Planning Authority.

Reason: In the interests of road safety, to ensure adequate parking provision within the site.

12.

Notwithstanding the approved plans, the entrance gates to the approved development shall be deleted from the scheme and the vehicular access shall be kept clear of all obstructions to access including gates and bollards in perpetuity.

Reason: In the interests of road safety.

13.

Prior to the commencement of works site full details of the open space and play area provision to serve the residential units, together with detailed arrangements for the on-going maintenance shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. Thereafter the approved open space and play area provisions shall be fully in place prior to the occupation of the sixth residential unit.

Reason: In the interests of amenity.

14.

Prior to the commencement of works on site a plan showing an area of land within the applicant’s control on the shore side of the A82 capable of forming a bus draw in facility shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority in consultation with the Area Roads Manager. Thereafter this land shall be reserved and made available to the Council as Roads Authority for the formation of a bus draw in facility.

Reason: In the interests of road safety

Footnote to Applicant Relative to Application 07/00486/FULLO

The applicant is advised to make early contact with Scottish Water to secure the necessary permissions to connect to the public water supply and the public sewer.

The applicant’s attention is drawn to the contents of the ‘View from the Road Project’. It would be beneficial for some environmental/enhancement works to be undertaken on the land between the A82 and the shore.

1.

An additional condition requiring the provision by the Applicants of a bus draw in area on the land across the road from the site;

2.

The Applicants be asked to voluntarily provide one additional affordable housing unit;

3.

That the Applicants meet the entire cost of the Section 75 Agreement including the Council’s legal costs and the costs of preparing any required plans; and

4.

That maintenance of the Play area be included in the Maintenance Agreement.