A meeting of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Wednesday 20 May 2009 at 10.30am.
You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.
Yours faithfully,
Michelle Morris
Assistant Chief Executive
Declarations of Interest – Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Presentation by Experian Catalist on the Future of Rural Road Fuel
Supply in the Highlands and Islands
There is circulated Report No. Ped 34-09 dated 11 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development informing Members of the outcome of a comprehensive study undertaken by Experian Catalist on behalf of the Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and HITRANS into the future of rural road fuel supplies in the Highlands and Islands. Appendices 1 and 2 referred to in the report are circulated separately as Booklet A.
A presentation will be given by Mr Arthur Renshaw of Experian Catalist.
A copy of the initial report by Experian Catalist, delivered in November 2008, is available in the Members’ Library and on the Members’ bulletin.
The Committee is asked to:
i. note the findings of the circulated report
ii. consider and comment on the comment on the results of the study
outlined at Appendix 2; and
iii. agree that the Council, along with its partners, Highlands and Islands
Enterprise and HITRANS, continue to work to ensure that the Highlands
retains an extensive network of fuel stations.
3. Notice of Amendment (Planning)
Planning Applications 08/00740/CONIN and 08/00723/FULIN
Demolition of Existing Former Bingo Hall Premises at 19 – 21 Huntly Street, Inverness and Erection of a 96 Bedroom Hotel for Ardmuir Developments
This item is scheduled to be taken at 11.00 a.m.
The Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Planning Applications and Review Committee (INBS PARC) granted planning consent for the above application at its meeting on 14 April 2009. The following Notice of Amendment was received on 17 April 2009:
“We the undersigned, being elected Members of The Highland Council, hereby declare our wish that the decisions of the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Planning Applications and Review Committee at their meeting on 14 April 2009 on the above planning applications be reviewed at a forthcoming meeting of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee of the Council.
Signed: Mr D Fallows, Mr F Black, Mr P Corbett, Mr D Kerr, Mr A Graham, Mr H Wood, Mr J Holden, Mr J Crawford, Mr R Balfour, Mrs J Campbell”.
Accordingly there is re-circulated Report No. PLI-23-09 (for all drawings, maps, and amendments please see under 'Reports' on the right-hand side of this page) by the Area Planning and Building Standards Manager for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, together with the relevant extract from the Minutes of the PARC meeting.
The Committee is asked to consider the application.
4. Revenue Expenditure Monitoring 2009/10
There is circulated for noting Report No. Ped 35-09 dated 12 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development setting out the revenue monitoring position for the period to 30 April 2009 and the projected year end position.
5. Capital Expenditure Monitoring 2009/10
There is circulated for noting Report No. Ped 36-09 dated 6 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development outlining the expenditure and income to 30 April 2009 the year 2009/10 capital programme and the projected year-end position.
6. Planning and Development Service – Service Plan 2009/10–
2010/11
There is circulated Report No. Ped 37-09 dated 12 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development introducing the draft Planning and Development Service – Service Plan for 2009/10 – 2010/11. Copies of the draft Service Plan will be circulated as Booklet B to Members of the Committee prior to the meeting.
Committee is invited to:
i. consider the draft Planning and Development Service - Service Plan 2009/10
– 2010/2011; and
ii. approve the draft Plan subject to any alterations agreed by Committee.
7. Audit Scotland Statutory Performance Indicators – Fourth
Quarterly Review 2008/09
There is circulated Report No. Ped 38-09 dated 4 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development advising Members on the delivery of the Development Management, Building Standards and Development Plan services for the final quarter of 2008/09, with comparative figures for previous years. The Development Management and Development Plan figures are statutory performance returns to Audit Scotland. The Building Standards returns are no longer statutory but have proved to be a useful management tool to assess the Service’s performance.
The Committee is asked to note the current improving position in respect of both Planning and Building Standards performance in relation to the vacancies throughout the Service.
8. Town Centre Regeneration Fund
There is circulated Report No. Ped 39-09 dated 5 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development providing information on the recently announced Town Centre Regeneration Fund, and offering an approach to guide Council efforts in any applications that may be made within Highland for support from this Fund.
The Committee is asked to:
i. authorise the Director of Planning & Development, in consultation with the
Convener, Leader of the Council’s Administration and the Chairman, to
submit an application or applications for the Town Centre Regeneration
Fund by the 5 June 2009 deadline and to determine which other
applications, to be made by others, the Council should support; and
ii. agree that a further report be presented to the August PED Committee on
any application(s) made, and an assessment of any potential Tranche Two
applications to be made by the 21 August 2009 deadline.
9. Scottish Government Consultation - Scottish Planning Policy
Consultative Draft 2009
There is circulated Report No. Ped 40-09 dated 23 April 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development providing a draft response to the new Scottish Planning Policy, Consultative Draft. National planning policy for Scotland is currently expressed through a series of Scottish Planning Policies (SPPs) and National Planning Policy Guidelines (NPPGs). As part of the commitment to proportionate and practical planning policies the Scottish Government is rationalising the SPP and NPPG series into a single statement of national planning policy which is currently under consultation. Appendix 1 sets out the questions and the Council’s response.
The Committee is asked to:
i. note the findings of this report
ii. note the report on the Council’s response to the updated Scottish
Planning Policy (Consultative Draft); and
iii. agree the content of the Council’s response to the Scottish Planning Policy
(Consultative Draft) as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report.
10. Scottish Government Consultation on the Amendment to the
General Permitted Development Order for Householder
Development
There is circulated letter from the Director of Planning and Development dated 23 March 2009 to the Scottish Government, comprising a response on behalf of the Council to the Scottish Government’s consultation paper on Householder Permitted Development Rights for which responses were sought by 20 March 2009.
The Committee is asked to homologate the response.
11. The Town and Country Planning (Notification of Applications)
(Scotland) Direction 2009
There is circulated Report No. Ped 41-09 dated 15 April 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development setting out revised arrangements for Scottish Planning Authorities to notify planning applications to Scottish Government. It emphasises the Government’s wish to be involved in decision only on planning applications of strategic or national importance. The Circular emphasises Scottish Government’s wish for local authorities to make speedier decisions on mainstream planning applications.
The Committee is asked to note the amendments to the notification procedure and the objectives of Scottish Government in the change to procedures.
12. Open Space in New Residential Developments: Supplementary
Guidance
There is circulated Report No. Ped 42-09 dated 8 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development and the Director of Transport, Environment and Community Serives advising that following a public consultation early in 2009, adjustments have been made to the consultation version of the Supplementary Guidance brought before this Committee in November 2008. Following these changes Members are asked to adopt the revised version of the Guidance as a material planning consideration in the determination of planning applications for residential developments.
The final draft version of the document is circulated as Booklet C and is available on the Members’ bulletin. The document, the strategic environmental assessment environmental report and the report of consultation are also available in the Members’ library.
The Committee is asked to:
i. adopt the supplementary guidance for use as a material planning
consideration in the determination of planning applications;
ii. agree that the recommendations for implementing the supplementary
guidance are carried out; and
iii. agree that the guidance is brought back to committee to be re-adopted as
part of the local development plan at the appropriate time.
13. Highland-wide Local Development Plan Progress Report
There is circulated Report No. Ped 43-09 dated 8 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development outlining the progress made to date on the production of the Highland Wide Local Development Plan and how it will be progressed to the Main Issues Report.
The Committee is asked to:
i. note the progress on the production of the Highland Wide Local
Development Plan;
ii. agree to a Members’ workshop being held in June 2009 to discuss the
draft Main Issues Report; and
iii. agree that the Main Issues Report will be brought before this Committee in
August 2009 before going out for public consultation.
14. Nigg Development Master Plan and Strategic Environmental
Assessment
There is circulated Report No. Ped 44-09 dated 11 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development seeking Committee approval for the Master Plan and associated documents, to enable the final 12 week public consultation to commence at the beginning of June 2009.
The Committee is asked to:
i. note the agreed revisions to the draft Nigg Development Masterplan arising
from the first round of public consultation;
ii. note the updated Market Assessments in relation to the oil, gas,
decommissioning and renewables sectors;
iii. note and approve the final draft of the Masterplan incorporating mitigation
measures identified through the Strategic Environmental Assessment
process and Flood Risk Assessment;
iv. authorise officers to publish the Final Draft of the Masterplan and associated
documents for a 10 week public consultation period commencing 1 June
2009.
15. Sutherland Local Plan
There is circulated Report No. Ped 45-09 dated 8 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development presenting an objection relating to the Sutherland Local Plan not referred to Committee at its meeting on 18 March 2009, in relation to an outstanding local plan representation. This relates to a representation seeking a minor boundary change to the Brora Settlement Development Area.
The Committee is asked to:
i. consider the issues raised through this further representation on the Plan;
ii. agree the response, including further Plan change recommended to the
Reporter; and
iii. agree that the change commended in this report be a material
consideration for development management purposes with immediate
effect.
16. Draft Aquaculture Framework Plan – Loch Nevis
There is circulated Report No. Ped 46-09 dated 6 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development advising that a new framework plan has been prepared to guide the development of aquaculture in Loch Nevis. This is intended to replace the original (1988) Loch Nevis plan and is one of three new aquaculture plans for Highland which are currently in preparation. Coastal plans are becoming more widespread in Scotland and more diverse as marine management moves up the political agenda, as more organisations get involved, and as new methodologies are tested. Progress on the Highland Aquaculture Framework Plans (AFPs) and the scope for their future development should be viewed in this context.
The Committee is asked to approve the publication of the draft Loch Nevis Aquaculture Framework Plan for public consultation over an 8-week period.
17. Business Gateway
There is circulated Report No. Ped 47-09 dated 12 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development updating Members on the commencement of the Business Gateway service.
The Committee is asked to:
i. note the arrangements put in place which enabled the Business Gateway
service in Highland to be launched on 1 April 2009; and
ii. approve the presentation of quarterly performance reports and an annual
operating plan to future meetings of this Committee.
18. Highland Opportunity Ltd – Performance Review
2008/09
There is circulated for noting Report No. Ped 48-09 dated 11 May 2008 by the Director of Planning and Development advising Members of the performance of Highland Opportunity Limited (HOL) against the range of targets set by the Council as part of the 2008/09 contract it held with HOL to deliver business development services.
19. Minutes of Tourism Project Group - 22 April 2009
There are circulated for approval Minutes of meeting of the Tourism Project Group held on 22 April 2009.
20. Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Fisheries Trust – Appointment of
Council Member
There is circulated Report No. Ped 49-09 dated 12 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development introducing an invitation from Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Fisheries Trust (FN&LFT) to nominate a Highland Council Member who will become an Associate Member of the Trust. The report provides a brief consideration of the role and structure of the Trust.
The Committee is invited to nominate Councillor Laurie Fraser of Ward 19 (Nairn) to become the Associate Member of the FN&LFT.
21. Wick, Pulteneytown Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme
(CARS)
There is circulated Report No. Ped 50-09 dated 8 May 2009 by the Director of Planning and Development asking Members to consider a grant request for the allocation of Historic Scotland funding towards the first major project under the Wick, Pulteneytown Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme.
The Committee is asked to approve Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme deficit funding of £297,836 to the Highland Housing Alliance towards the redevelopment and the formation of 11 residential dwellings William Street, Saltoun Street, Wick Pulteneytown.