Minutes of Meeting of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee held in the Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Wednesday, 16 March 2011 at 10.30 a.m.
Present:
Mr I Ross, Mr G Farlow, Mr D MacKay, Mr R Coghill, Mr W MacKay, Dr A Sinclair, Mr R Durham, Mr B Clark, Mrs H Carmichael, Mr D Hendry, Mr I Brown, Mr J Gray, Mr A S Park, Mr J Crawford, Mr T Prag, Mr D Fallows, Mr G Rimell, Dr M E M Foxley
Non-Members also present:
Mr J Rosie, Mrs D MacKay, Dr D Alston, Mr J Laing, Mr D Millar, Mr A Henderson, Mr R Balfour, Ms J Campbell, Mrs L MacDonald, Mr G Marsden
Officials in attendance:
Mr S Black, Director of Planning and Development
Mr R Hartland, Head of Planning and Building Standards
Mr G Robson, Head of Environment and Development
Mr A McCann, Economy and Regeneration Manager
Mr M MacLeod, Development Plans Manager
Mr G Hamilton, Countryside, Heritage and Natural Resources Manager
Mr D Mudie, Team Leader, Development Management
Mr T Stott, Principal Planner
Mr B MacKenzie, Planner
Mrs G Webster, Planner
Mr C Simpson, Tourism Co-ordinator
Ms S Lunn, Business Support Manager
Ms A Hackett, Principal Projects Officer
Mr B MacKinnon, Employability Team Leader
Mr K MacInnes, Economic Advisor
Ms M Peter, Business Gateway Officer
Ms B Robinson, Project Officer (CARS)
Mrs R Moir, Principal Committee Administrator
Ms L Lee, Committee Administrator
Mr S Taylor, Administrative Assistant
Also in attendance:
Ms A Rutherford, Senior Development Manager, Transport and Communications Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Mr S Robertson, Highland and Islands Enterprise
Mr W J Ross in the Chair
1. Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Mrs I McCallum (OCB); Mrs I Campbell; Mr D Chisholm, Mr D Henderson and Mr J Holden.
2. Declarations of Interest
The Committee NOTED the following declarations of interest:
• Item 10 – Mr I Ross, Mrs H Carmichael, Mr D Hendry, Mr I Brown, Mr J Gray
(all Non-financial)
• Item 12 – Mr D Hendry, Mrs H Carmichael (both Non-financial)
• Item 15 – Mr G Farlow (Non-financial)
• Item 22 – Mr G Farlow (Non-financial)
3. Preliminaries
The Committee NOTED:
i. the Chairman’s tribute to the late Councillor Alan Torrance; and
ii. that the Council’s Pre-Application Advice Service had been awarded a
commendation in the 2010 Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning, for
Outstanding Performance and Quality in Development Management, and a
silver award in the annual COSLA awards for Service Innovation and
Improvement.
4. Presentation on High Speed Broadband in the Highlands
A presentation was given by Ms A Rutherford, Senior Development Manager, Transport and Communications, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), on delivery of High Speed Broadband in the Highlands.
Ms Rutherford presented maps illustrating the UK position with regard to broadband speed, cable enabled areas and the planned rollout of superfast broadband. Whilst previous public intervention had provided good basic broadband, the maps showed that the Highlands and Islands were characterised by slower speeds and an absence of more advanced provision compared with more populated areas despite there being a high uptake of broadband in the Highlands. Also, 2G coverage (mobile phones) was similar to other rural areas but there were “blackspots”.
UK Government objectives were (i) to ensure that the UK had the best superfast broadband in Europe and (ii) to ensure delivery of standard broadband to virtually all communities in the UK within the lifetime of the current Parliament. The aim was for 65% of the UK to receive superfast broadband by 2015; however, the Highlands were not included in this rollout. The Scottish Government’s Digital Strategy had been issued the previous week which mirrored EU targets to provide superfast broadband to all by 2020 and a national plan was in the process of being drawn up.
In October 2010, Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) had announced funding for four initial superfast broadband projects, one of which was the Highlands and Islands. If provision of broadband was commercially driven, remoter areas were likely to be without access to high speed broadband for some considerable time. HIE was therefore designing a project based on providing this at an earlier date to locations within 20km of 50 main towns in the Highlands and Islands which would cover 90% of the population. The required upgrades were expected to take place in 2012/13 but would depend to some extent on the level of take-up which was demand linked. The costs and complexity were greater than for Phase 1 and provision was likely to take some time, possibly to 2020, to implement. HIE was also investigating accelerating the rollout of 3G and 4G mobile coverage.
In discussion, a number of comments were made, including that:
• broadband was of crucial importance to the Highlands – it was a commercial
driver and helped retain people in rural areas
• tourists expected broadband and mobile phone coverage
• Highland Council could help by stimulating demand, for example via Business
Gateway courses.
In response to questions raised, Ms Rutherford confirmed that HIE recognised the need to assist local communities who wished to upgrade their broadband provision and could access funding from community resources. In this respect, HIE was learning from the experience of communities elsewhere and it was hoped that a community broadband toolkit would be developed and backhaul assistance made available.
The Chairman commented that broadband was a very important initiative and vital to progressing the message that the Highlands were “open for business”.
The Committee NOTED the terms of the presentation as detailed.
5. Revenue Expenditure Monitoring 2010/11
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-14-11 dated 8 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development setting out the revenue monitoring position for the period to 31 January 2011 and the projected year end position and recommending increases in service charges in 2011/12.
The Committee NOTED:
i. the monitoring report to the end of January 2011 and the verbal update to
the end of February 2011 which indicated that, if the seasonal fee income
pattern in March was repeated, the year-end underspend was likely to be
higher than the £618,000 indicated in the report; and
ii. updated figures for expenditure on Planning Inquiries, which at the end of
February amounted to £171,000, and that a year-end overspend of
£230,000 was anticipated.
The Committee AGREED:
i. the management action which had been taken to date to create an
underspend; and
ii. the updated charges for services for 2011/12 as outlined in Section 5.1 of
the report as follows -
• pre-application advice on major development projects – to be increased by
£250 to £750
• part of the Building Warrant fee based on estimated costs of operations to
be increased in line with the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) guide,
i.e. around 10%;
• introduction of a new charge of £30 for S50 consents (public entertainment
licences)
• extension of the charge for provision of archaeological advice to requests
from statutory undertakers; and
• a 5% increase in all other Planning charges in line with Council policy and
where the charges/fees were within the control of the Council.
6. Capital Expenditure Monitoring 2010/11
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-15-11 dated 7 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development setting out expenditure and income to 31 January 2011 and the projected year-end position of an underspend of £718,000. The report also provided an update on Vacant and Derelict Land Fund projects. Full spend under this scheme was anticipated but, should there be any slippage, monies would be transferred to reserve projects.
The Committee NOTED:
i. the content of the report, including that the Council was to receive a VDLF
grant of £1.23m in 2011/12 – details would be brought to a future
meeting; and
ii. that, as projects within the VDLF scheme required to be approved by the
Scottish Government, it would not be possible to add new projects to the
current portfolio; this might be possible in future years, depending on the
criteria set and award given by the Government.
The Committee AGREED to support the carry-forward of the budget underspend as detailed in the report into the 2011/12 Capital Programme, subject to the Council Capital Programme review.
7. Audit Scotland Statutory Performance Indicators – Third Quarterly
Review 2010/11
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-16-11 dated 2 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which advised Members on the delivery of the Development Management and Building Standards and the Development Plan services for the third quarter of 2010/11, with comparative figures for previous years. The Development Management figures were statutory returns to Audit Scotland. The Building Standards returns were no longer statutory but had proved to be a useful management tool to assess the Service’s performance. They had been adapted in accordance with the team’s Balanced Scorecard. The report also included information on Sickness Absence which was also a statutory performance indicator.
The Head of Planning and Building Standards summarised that overall the Service was maintaining a steady course. He also reported that initial outcomes from the Customer Survey showed that a high percentage of customers had said they received good or very good service and the Committee welcomed this information.
In response to concerns raised regarding the downturn in planning activity given the economic situation, the Chairman outlined actions taken by the Council to support growth and made reference to good working relationships with the Scottish Builders’ Federation.
Members commended all staff for their efforts, with particular reference to staff in the Fort William office, and requested that this be recorded in the minutes.
The Committee NOTED:
i. that there had been a 3.9% fall in the number of planning applications
submitted in Quarter 3 2010/11 compared with the same period in
2009/10 and the trend of increase over the last year appeared to have
broken;
ii. that there had been a decrease in Quarter 3 in the number of building
warrant applications and fee income, in compensation for the significant
increase in the warrants and fee income at the end of Quarter 2 due to the
changes in Building Standards;
iii. that there had been a slight decline in performance in determining planning
applications and building warrants over the last year;
iv. the sickness absence levels for the Service;
v. that a report would be brought to the Committee in the new financial year
on the implementation of the Improvement Plan and how this dovetailed
with the Public Service Improvement Plan; and
vi. that a report would be brought to a future meeting on the outcomes of
the Customer Survey on services provided.
8. Highland Wide Local Development Plan
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-17-11 dated 8 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which summarised the issues raised in objections to the Highland Wide Local Development Plan (HWLDP) (the Plan) and consolidating the Council’s position prior to the start of the process of Examination by Scottish Government appointed Reporter(s).
The Development Plans Manager summarised the content of the report, drew attention to the areas where the Plan had been changed in response to comments received in the consultation and explained the next steps in the process of adoption of the Plan. He emphasised that all comments received under the consultation would be examined by the Scottish Government Reporter(s). This included comments raised verbally at public meetings in addition to the 299 written responses (unedited).
He also updated the meeting on a number of comments which had been received since the publication of the Committee papers relating to waste management, the process for making material and non-material changes, the 25% expansion rule, perception that the consultation process had not been adequate and developer contributions; and the actions taken in response, including that the “Schedule 4” (the Council’s response to representations received, set out in the “Schedule 4 format” requested by the Scottish Government) relating to Waste Management had been amended to request that the Reporter amend the HWLDP to include reference to SEPA’s recently published Zero Waste Plan. He gave assurances that the authorisation to the Director in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman to make changes to the Plan was in keeping with normal practice across all the Council’s Local Plans and that the Developer Protocol was expected to be in place before the Plan was adopted. In response, Members expressed support for the way the consultation had been carried out.
In response to concerns raised by a Local Member on behalf of residents in the A96 corridor as to what they saw as an excessive rate of development in the Croy area and seeking the reinstatement of the 25% expansion rule, the Development Plans Manager informed the Committee that services and infrastructure in the A96 expansion area had been assessed and it was considered that the proposed developments could be accommodated within a phased approach. All the concerns raised would be submitted to the Reporter.
In response to a question raised, the Development Plans Manager undertook to look into the apparent contradiction between Forestry Plantation schemes which were protected from development and the promotion of woodland crofting.
Following discussion, the Committee NOTED:
i. the information given on issues raised since the publication of the
Committee papers and the responses thereto as set out above;
ii. that it was for the Reporter to determine whether any public hearings
should be arranged - other parties could not request these;
iii. that the Reporter’s decision was anticipated early in 2012 and would be
binding;
iv. that once the Plan was in place, it would be updated on a regular basis; this
would provide scope for incorporation of new/revised material, such as
changing Government strategies, survey outcomes etc;
v. that a report proposing the combining of all the Council’s Supplementary
Guidance on Developer Contributions into a single document would be
brought to the Committee later in the year; and
vi. that the Moray Firth Local Development Plan was in the initial stages of
development and would expand on some of the content of the HWLDP.
The Committee AGREED:
i. the Council’s position at Examination as that set out in the “Schedule 4”s as
displayed on the Council’s website and as available in the Members’ Library;
ii. to authorise the Director of Planning and Development to make non-
material changes to these Schedules prior to their submission to the
Scottish Government;
iii. to authorise the Director of Planning and Development, in consultation with
the Chairman and Vice Chairman, to make material changes to these
Schedules prior to submission and to offer further clarification of the
Council’s position during the Examination process, if necessary; and
iv. to authorise carrying out the statutory procedures required to progress the
Plan to Examination.
9. Employability Service
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-18-11 dated 8 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which updated Members on the Employability Service and the changing nature of employability services at the national and local level. The report sought Members’ agreement on future activity and the associated outline budgets for financial year 2011/12 and 2012/13 as well as the establishment of devolved powers to enable decisions to be taken on the disbursement of the Deprived Area Fund in 2011/12. The powers were being sought as the information on which to base the decisions was not yet available.
The Economy and Regeneration Manager drew attention to the main points of the report and advised that relationships with partner organisations were good and improving.
In response to comments raised, the Committee was informed that the Highland Economic Forum was keen to promote apprenticeships and worked positively with the Scottish Government. The average length of youth work experience placements was six months with a realistic period of time being given for obtaining qualifications. Members expressed frustration at the level of engagement with Skills Development Scotland (SDS) at a national level, notwithstanding that there were positive working relationships locally. There was an urgent need for SDS to work closely with local businesses and to provide information on industry and college requirements in order that business opportunities, particularly in the energy industry, were not lost.
The Committee NOTED:
i. the conclusions and actions arising from the deliberations of the
Employability Working Group and the use of devolved powers granted to
the Director of Planning and Development;
ii. that there would be a regular report on Employability Services to future
meetings of the Committee in recognition of the changing nature of
national and local employability services; and
iii. that a report would be brought to the May meeting on Strategic
Employability Projects and the Innovation Challenge Fund as set out in
Section 4 of the report.
The Committee AGREED:
i. the proposed Employability budget for 2011/12 and 2012/13 and
associated Strategic Employability Services, including match fund approval
to enable an application for £945,000 European Social Funding (ESF) to
proceed;
ii. to delegate powers to the Director of Planning and Development, in
consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman, to make decisions on
the disbursement of the Deprived Area Fund Project in 2011/12;
iii. the establishment and promotion of the Innovation Challenge Fund for
2011/12 as detailed in Appendix 3 to the report; and
iv. that an urgent meeting should be sought with Skills Development Scotland
and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) with regard to the energy
industry’s developing recruitment requirements and the challenges facing
Highland Colleges in making appropriate training available; and that the
possibility of Skills Development Scotland giving a presentation be
investigated.
10. Business Gateway Operational Plan 2011/12
Declarations of Interest:
Mr I Ross, Mr D Hendry, Mrs H Carmichael, Mr J Gray and Mr I Brown declared non-financial interests in relation to this item as Directors of Highland Opportunity Limited but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that their interests did not preclude their involvement in the discussion.
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-19-11 dated 8 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which presented a draft Business Gateway Operational Plan for 2011/12 for approval and sought agreement to organise a Business Portal briefing.
In speaking to the report, the Business Gateway Officer drew attention to strategic questions, including whether Business Gateway should continue to try to be “all things to all people” or more specialised and how best to further the partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Quantitative targets would be added to the Operational Plan once the preparatory work was complete. Activity levels in Moray were exceeding expectations with a high number of start-ups. Additional resources were being sought from the Scottish Government to meet the increased demand.
Members welcomed the Plan and the activity levels in Moray following the closure of the Ministry of Defence air base at Kinloss and drew attention to a recent announcement of £61.5m funding available under the Scottish Government’s Rural Priorities Funding Programme.
The Committee APPROVED the Business Gateway Operational Plan 2011/12 as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report; AGREED that a Business Portal briefing for Members, Council Services and partners be organised in May 2011; and NOTED that Business Gateway Officers would explore the Scotland Rural Development Funding Programme (Rural Priorities) and provide feedback.
11. Service Level Agreement with VisitScotland
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-20-11 dated 7 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which reported on progress in 2010/11 and included proposals for a Service Level Agreement between Highland Council and VisitScotland for 2011-12 and 2012-13.
The Tourism Co-ordinator drew attention to the main points of the report, including that spend on marketing was being maintained as far as possible as this had been shown to bring the best returns on investment. To protect marketing expenditure, savings would be required elsewhere and funding of Visitor Information Centres (VIC) would be reduced, resulting in shorter opening hours at some locations.
In response to points raised in discussion, the Tourism Co-ordinator advised that where demand had increased unexpectedly, for example for skiing during snowy conditions, local VIC opening hours had been extended. Additional provision would also be made for particular events, such as the Barclays Scottish Open golf tournament to be held at Castle Stuart, Inverness in July 2011. However, extending the opening of a particular VIC would generally require a reduction in hours elsewhere. He also undertook to request that VisitScotland revisit seeking a business partner with a view to establishing a VIC at Mallaig.
Having been advised that good working relationships with VisitScotland continued and that good progress was being made with preparations for the Barclays Scottish Open, the Committee AGREED to authorise the Director of Planning and Development to conclude a Partnership Agreement with VisitScotland for 2011/12 which incorporated the Schedule of Activities included in Appendix 2 to the report; APPROVED payments to VisitScotland up to a maximum of £345,000 for the financial year 2011-12 and an indicative allocation of £295,000 for the financial year 2012-13; and NOTED:
i. that a further report would be brought to the Committee in due course
seeking approval for the detailed 2012-13 schedule of activities; and
ii. that the Chief Executive of VisitScotland would be making a presentation to
the May meeting.
12. Scotland’s Housing Expo 2010
Declarations of Interest:
Mr D Hendry and Mrs H Carmichael declared non-financial interests in relation to this item as Highland Opportunity Limited Directors appointed to the Steering Group of Scotland’s Housing Fair/Expo but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that their interests did not preclude their involvement in the discussion.
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-21-11 dated 7 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which updated Members on Scotland’s Housing Expo event which had taken place throughout the month of August at Balvonie Braes, Milton of Leys, Inverness. The report included the results of an independent socio-economic study which the Council had commissioned to assess the impacts of the Expo, together with a financial breakdown for the three financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11, the first two of which had covered the lead-up to the event.
The Chairman spoke in support of the Expo event, drawing attention to both the achievements and the difficulties, and confirmed that it had raised the profile of Inverness and the Highlands and had demonstrated what the Highlands could deliver.
The Head of Environment and Development highlighted the main points of the report, emphasising that the event had generated an estimated £6.3m for the Highland economy and had left a long-term legacy in the houses and building standards information.
Members were largely supportive of the event and commended the outstanding efforts made by Council staff and the Expo team, the groundbreaking technologies, the provision of affordable housing, the jobs created and the visitor targets exceeded. However, concerns were also raised regarding the cost to the Council.
The Committee NOTED:
i. the independent socio-economic study and its findings, in particular the
£5.8m construction income and related 240 fte jobs and the £543,000
event income to the local economy and related 28 fte jobs; and
ii. the socio-economic study conclusions and recommendations in terms of the
longer term legacy and impacts of the Expo.
The Committee AGREED to meet the Expo costs of £198,000 in 2010/11 from the Planning and Development Service budget; this sum to be met from projected underspends elsewhere in the budget.
The Committee adjourned for lunch at 1.35 p.m. and re-convened at 2.05 p.m.
13. Fuel Supply – Pricing in the Highlands
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-22-11 dated 8 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development updating Members on the position regarding the supply of fuel in the Highlands.
Following a summary of the main points of the report by the Economic Advisor, strong views were expressed by a number of Members, including that:
• the position in Highland was unacceptable – high fuel prices (£1.50 per litre)
and large distances between filling stations in rural areas impacted on both
the economy and the social fabric and were detrimental to the tourism
industry;
• oil was a finite resource and prices were likely to continue to increase;
• a great deal was at stake and robust action had to be taken immediately,
including lobbying for derogation, scrapping the proposed fuel duty increase,
introducing a fuel price stabiliser mechanism and implementing robust and
active working arrangements with partners to safeguard a strategic network
of filling stations;
• the derogation models used in Norway and Corsica should be considered for
the Highlands;
• a derogation of 5p/l had been acceptable when fuel prices were £1 per litre
but should be increased proportionately as prices rose.
After discussion, the Committee AGREED:
i. to continue to monitor fuel prices and their impact and to lobby the UK
Government for the extension of any fuel price derogation to mainland
Highland communities;
ii. to make further early representations to the UK Government on the
impact of fuel prices in the Highlands and the effect of fuel duty increases;
iii. in principle, that representations be made to the UK Government to reflect
the comments made in discussion in regard to seeking supporting measures
as a matter of urgency, including introduction of a fuel duty stabiliser and a
derogation set at a meaningful level;
iv. to explore evidence of rural fuel stations at risk and to work with
communities and other appropriate parties to ensure the maintenance of a
strategic network through potential community ownership and/or
automation;
v. to explore appropriate mechanisms to provide funding support to a
strategic network as a means of supporting rural communities and business
sectors and maintaining continued access to key services;
vi. to lobby the Scottish Government on the need for funding assistance –
capital and revenue - for tank upgrades for fuel stations to be able to
handle the introduction of bio-fuels;
vii. to explore innovative solutions such as the introduction of
electric/hydrogen vehicles in pilot communities; and
viii. to produce a lobbying brief on fuel issues in the Highlands for distribution to
all political groups in advance of the Scottish Parliamentary elections.
14. Consultation: Building a Hydro Nation – Homologation of
Response
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-23-11 dated 23 February 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which outlined the response made to the Scottish Government consultation “Building a Hydro Nation” which had been prepared in discussion with colleagues in the TEC Services and submitted ahead of the deadline of 9 March 2011.
The Committee HOMOLOGATED the response as circulated at Appendix 1 and AGREED that the following issues be taken forward, either as a late comment to the consultation or in a separate letter to Scottish Water as appropriate:
• the potential weakening of public control of Scottish Water if it was to
operate as an arm’s length organisation; and
• that greater accountability on an area basis should be encouraged to allow
the Council to engage with Scottish Water at a local level.
15. UK and Scottish Government Consultation - Dounreay Radioactive
Waste Substitution
Declaration of Interest:
Mr G Farlow declared a non-financial interest in relation to this item as a member of the Dounreay Stakeholders Group but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interest did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-24-11 dated 8 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which advised that the Scottish and UK Governments were consulting on a proposed policy of radioactive waste substitution for the radioactive waste arising from historic fuel reprocessing contracts with overseas customers at Dounreay. The closing date for comments was 11 March 2011; however, an extension had been agreed with the Scottish Government until 21 March 2011.
The Team Leader, Development Management, summarised the main points of the report.
The Committee NOTED:
i. the key issues highlighted in the report; and
ii. comments regarding the appropriateness of the use of “value for money” as
a supporting argument for a planning decision
The Committee AGREED the responses to the questions as set out within Appendix 3 to the report.
16. Managing Waste in New Developments Supplementary Guidance –
Post Consultation Amendments
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-25-11 dated 4 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which presented the results of a 10 week public consultation and outlined subsequent amendments to ‘Managing Waste in New Developments’ Supplementary Guidance for consideration by the Committee. Members were asked to approve the amended document to be used as interim planning guidance with a view to it becoming supplementary guidance to the Highland Wide Local Development Plan in due course.
In discussion, Members commented that the document should look further (10-20 years) ahead and should be regularly updated to take account of changing practice, new legislation etc. Suggestion was also made that, particularly in rural areas, supermarket delivery vans should collect their Supermarket’s own packaging materials (e.g. yoghurt pots) for return to recycling centres.
The Committee APPROVED the proposed changes to the document ‘Managing Waste in New Developments’ and AGREED that:
i. the document be used as interim supplementary guidance with immediate
effect, and as Supplementary Guidance to the Highland Wide Local
Development Plan in due course;
ii. the Supplementary Guidance be updated and improved on an ongoing basis
to reflect new practice and legislation; and
iii. Transport, Environmental and Community Services be asked to investigate
the feasibility of supermarket delivery vans collecting their supermarket’s
own packaging materials for return to recycling centres.
17. Development Plan Scheme 2011
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-26-11 dated 23 February 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which outlined the content of the Development Plan Scheme (DPS) 2011, including updated timescales for production of the Highland Wide Local Development Plan and the initial preparatory stages of the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan.
In response to questions raised *and specifically in relation to the Sandown Development Brief, Members were given assurances that the costs of community engagement workshops were met from the Planning and Development budget and that verbal comments made during the consultation process (e.g. at Community Council meetings) were taken account of as well as formal written submissions. Minutes of such Community Meetings were published on the Development Plan web page. Members were also informed that preparatory work for the Inverness City Centre Development brief was currently being carried out.
(*Agreed at the Highland Council meeting on 12 May, 2011)
The Committee AGREED the content of the Development Plan Scheme for 2011, in order for the document to be submitted to the Plain English Campaign and subsequently submitted to Scottish Ministers and NOTED:
i. the information given; and
ii. that, following community consultation, a report would be brought to the
Committee later in the year on the Inverness City Centre Development Brief.
18. Nairn Town Centre Development Brief
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-27-11 dated 3 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which detailed the results of the public consultation process on the Council’s Draft Nairn Town Centre Development Brief. Consequent amendments to the Brief were recommended for the Committee’s approval.
In response to concerns raised with regard to parking, including the lack of an up to date parking survey, Members were advised that the Brief was subject to commercial realities and parking provision would depend on what plans came forward from developers. However, there were constraints within the Brief in that should a developer propose to build over designated parking areas, they would be required to demonstrate how this would be compensated for. An updated parking survey could be sought from the Transport, Environment and Community Service (TECS) when required.
The Committee APPROVED:
i. the amendments to the Draft Nairn Town Centre Development Brief as set
out in Paragraph 3.1 of the report; and
ii. the re-publishing of the amended and finalised Brief as non-statutory
supplementary planning guidance and as a material planning consideration for
development management purposes.
The Committee NOTED that the Council’s planning policy for the Brief area and the wider town centre would be reviewed through the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan process.
19. Wick, Pulteneytown Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS)
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-28-11 dated 7 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which sought approval for two new large grants and one small grant under the Pulteneytown Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS).
The Committee APPROVED the three CARS grants as follows:
i. Harbour Quay – in principle up to £400,000
ii. Wick Heritage Centre - £94,298.45
iii. 15 Breadalbane Crescent - £22,449.56.
The Committee NOTED that a report would be brought to a future meeting detailing costs at the Harbour Quay site once these had been confirmed.
20. LEADER Project: Highland Core Paths Implementation Programme
(2010-2013)
Members were reminded that the Planning, Environment and Development Service Plan contained a commitment to develop and implement the Highland Core Path Implementation Plan (HCPIP) and to maximise the value of the LEADER Programme in the Highlands. In this regard, there had been circulated Report No. Ped-29-11 dated 8 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which updated the Committee on the HCPIP and sought authority to proceed with the first phase of community path projects supported by the Council and LEADER Programme.
The Committee NOTED progress being made on the Highland Core Path Implementation Programme and APPROVED the second phase of community path projects supported by the Council and LEADER via the Programme as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.
21. Statutorily Protected Species – Draft Supplementary Guidance
There had been circulated Report No. Ped-30-11 dated 8 March 2011 by the Director of Planning and Development which sought approval of draft Supplementary Guidance on Highland’s Statutorily Protected Species. If approved, the draft guidance would be subject to a 6 week public consultation.
The Committee APPROVED the draft supplementary guidance: ‘Highland’s Statutorily Protected Species: Supplementary Planning Guidance’ for a six week public consultation and AGREED that, following public consultation on the draft guidance, a further report should be brought back detailing the outcomes of the consultation and any necessary adjustments and seeking formal adoption of the Guidance as supplementary guidance to the Highland Wide Local Development Plan.
22. Caithness and Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Advisory
Board - Minutes
Declarations of Interest:
Mr G Farlow declared a non-financial interest in relation to this item as a member of the Caithness and Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Advisory Board but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interest did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.
The Committee NOTED the Minutes of Meeting of the Caithness and Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Advisory Board Meeting held on 16 November 2010.
23. Minutes
There had been circulated Minutes of Meetings of the Planning Applications Committees for:-
i. Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey – 7 December 2010
ii. Ross, Skye and Lochaber – 14 December 2010
iii. Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross – 21 December 2010
iv. Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey – 18 January 2011
v. Ross, Skye and Lochaber – 18 January 2011
vi. Ross, Skye and Lochaber – 25 January 2011
The Committee NOTED the minutes and that an apparent anomaly in the sederunt of the minutes at (i) above would be investigated.
The meeting ended at 3.00 p.m.