Action notes - Ward Forum - West Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh (Ward 10)

Meeting held on 29th June 2009 at 1900 in Dornie Village Hall

 

Chair: Cllr Richard Greene

 

Present: Cllr Biz Campbell; Cllr Richard Greene; Cllr Audrey Sinclair; Cllr Jean Urquhart; Alasdair MacLeod (Applecross CC); Shona MacLennan (Dornie & District CC); Graham Hewitt (Dornie & District CC); John MacLean (Glenelg & Arnisdale CC); Brian Easter (Kyle CC); Terry Harvey (Kyle CC); Berwyn Edwards (Lochduich CC); R. Ross (Lochduich CC); Donald MacIntosh (Loch Duich CC); Jane Croy (Lochduich CC); Christine Fraser (Lochduich CC); David Reid (Marybank, Scatwell & Strathconon CC); C.M. Macrae (Plockton & District CC); J. Storie (Plockton & District CC); G.R. Webster (Plockton & District CC); K. Leiper (Plockton & District CC); N Cameron (Shieldaig CC); A. MacLennan (Shieldaig CC); Richard Munday (Shieldaig CC).

 

Officials in attendance: Robbie Bain (THC); Insp Matthew Reiss (Northern Constabulary); Insp Duncan MacLean (Northern Constabulary); Robert Muir (HIE); Tim Stott (THC); Dafydd Jones (THC); Kate Earnshaw (NHS); Mary Gibson (SNH); Ian Philp (HIE)

 

And 14 Members of the public.

 

Introduction

 

Richard Greene welcomed everyone to the meeting and noted apologies from John MacDonald and Joey MacKenna.


Police Issues

 

Insp MacLean (Portree) and Insp Reiss (Dingwall) each gave an overview of police issues in their respective areas:

  • 3 recent break-ins in Skye, with no apparent pattern
  • Bogus workers targeting older people in Skye
  • High number of road accidents including high-speed motorcycle crashes
  • Unusual number of incidents in Strathpeffer – break-ins/damage/drunkenness

Questions from the Forum included

  • a request for more policing of speeding on the A87 in Inverinate – now that signage was improved, the Police would be able to make greater inputs at Inverinate.
  • A question about cameras on the Skye Bridge – it was confirmed that there was a programme for Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras throughout Scotland.
  • A question about staffing levels – it was confirmed that the police were up to strength locally.

Planning

 

Tim Stott, Principal Planner, Highland Council.  Tim gave a presentation on the Highland-Wide Local Development Plan.  He explained that this is part of the new Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 which comes into force this year.

 

The Highland wide Local Development Plan will update and replace parts of the Highland Structure Plan as well as parts of existing Local Plans which cover strategic policy issues. It will set out:

  • the spatial strategy and vision for the area
  • clear policy guidance for development of all types (including reference to Supplementary Guidance where appropriate); 
  • the development principles of key action areas (including the A96 Corridor).

The Highland Council was chosen as one of the pilot authorities to deliver a new local development plan based on partnership working with SEPA, SNH, Scottish Water and Transport Scotland. The aim is to demonstrate the benefits of a partnership approach to the preparation of a new-style, concise, map-based plan.

 

The plan will go out to public consultation in August 09 and a legal draft of the proposed plan will be produced in winter ‘09/’10

 

Questions and discussions included:

  • policy on out-of-town retail developments
  • Does fewer local plans mean less local input?
  • Provision for local industrial needs
  • The relative roles of community, planners and Reporter in deciding location of houses in Plockton
  • Does “Council decision” mean planners or Councillors?
  • Role of Councillors in discussion of planning matters at CCs and in the community.

Dafydd Jones, Area Planning & Building Standards Manager, Highland Council.  Dafydd outlined the process which planning applications go through from submission to decision, the role of CCs in planning and the changes to legislation that are coming into force this year.

 

Discussion points included:

 

  • concerns expressed about the lack of land available for housing and the difficulty of getting planning approval for new houses on croft ground. 
  • Frustrations with Planning Service – would new legislation make the planning system easier or more difficult?
  • Frustration about lack of dialogue with planners.
  • Rules on Planners and Councillors declarations of interest
  • Planning policy concerning decking
  • Planning Gain – what is the policy where gain is not delivered?
  • How do CCs interpret local community interests?  Can Planning Dept allow variations depending on community view of best form of development?
  • Should housing in the countryside only reflect local vernacular styles? How does this cope with new designs and eco designs?
  • In Fragile areas what weight should be given to social and economic circumstances, especially on hard-to-develop sites?

Richard Greene concluded the meeting by thanking the Dornie Hall Committee for the catering.