• Agenda

Minute of the meeting of the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Planning Applications Committee held in the Duthac Centre, Shandwick Street, Wick on Tuesday, 2 August 2011 at 10.30 am.

Committee Members Present

Mr Bill Fernie
Mr Donnie Mackay
Mr Jim McGillivray
Mr Martin Rattray
Mrs Fiona Robertson
Mr Ian Ross
Mr Robbie Rowantree
Mr Graeme Smith

Officials in attendance:

Ms Susan Blease, Clerk
Mr Dafydd Jones, Area Planning Manager - North
Mr Bob Robertson, Principal Planner
Ms Lisa MacKenzie, Graduate Planner
Mr Simon Hindson, Planner
Mr Simon Young, Principal Engineer, TEC 
Mrs Alison MacArthur, Acting Administrative Assistant

Mr Donnie Mackay in the Chair

The Chair welcomed Mrs Fiona Robertson, from Ward 8, Tain and Easter Ross, as a new member of the Planning Committee.  The Chair also welcomed Mr Dafydd Jones to his first meeting as the Area Planning Manager for the North area.

Business

1. Apologies for Absence and Declarations of Interest

Apologies were received from Mr David Bremner, Mr Rob Coghill, Mr Richard Durham, Mr George Farlow, Lady Marion Thurso and Mrs Carolyn Wilson.

There were no declarations of interest.

2. Confirmation of Minutes

There had been circulated for confirmation the minutes of the Committee meetings held on

(a)  7 June 2011 and

(b)  28 June 2011. 

The minutes for the meeting held on the 7 June 2011 were held as read and approved.

The minutes for the meeting held on the 28 June 2011 were amended as follows:

In the last paragraph on page 3 the minute should be amended to read “The first amendment was therefore approved” and not “The motion was therefore approved”. 

On page 2, Item 2.1, third paragraph the following sentence should be added:

“Mr Hindson further advised that although the visibility splays shown on the application plans were not entirely accurate, the required visibility splays would be stipulated as a condition of the planning permission.”

The minute for the 28 June 2011 was then agreed, subject to these amendments.

3.   Planning Applications

3.1   Applicant:  Mr Webster & Ms Hamilton 11/0762/FUL (PLC-034-11 (1521kb pdf) )
Location:  7 Main Street, Portmahomack
Nature of Development: Alterations and erection of extension

There had been circulated Report No PLC/034/11 by the Area Planning Manager recommending the grant of planning permission subject to the conditions detailed therein. 

Ms Lisa MacKenzie, Graduate Planner, presented the report and recommendation and advised that since completion of the report a response had been received from the Conservation Officer stating that they had no comments. 

Mrs Fiona Robertson advised that she and her fellow Ward 8 members were happy to have now received a response from the Conservation Officer and their concerns over the porch at the front of the house had also now been dealt with following its removal from the application.  

The Committee then agreed to GRANT planning permission in accordance with the recommendation.

3.2   Applicant:  Mr & Mrs Smienk 11/00968/FUL (PLC-035-11 (1574kb pdf) )
Location:  Former Council Offices, Main Street, Golspie 
Nature of Development: Conversion of offices to 7 flats

There had been circulated Report No PLC/035/11 by the Area Planning Manager  recommending the grant of planning permission subject to the prior conclusion of a Section 75 Agreement to cover the matters identified in section 10 A of the report and subject to the conditions detailed in section 10 B of the report. 

Mr Simon Hindson, Planner, presented the report and recommendation and advised that the bin store had been moved to an alternative area within the site following concerns expressed by occupants at the neighbouring property.   Mr Hindson also advised that at Condition 1 it should be amended to state “(P110 Rev. F)” and not (P110 Rev. D). 

Mr Ian Ross stated that any proposal should acknowledge the sensitivity of the site and area.  This area had been identified as a conditional conservation area in a previous development plan.  There were a great many concerns and he was surprised and disappointed that the applicants had not engaged with the community and recognised the sensitivities at an early stage.  

He advised that he would like to see the design improved and the flat roof replaced with a pitched roof, although he recognised that the existing flat roof was a legacy from long ago.  He felt that the number of flats was an overdevelopment of the site and that ideally some of the one bedroomed flats should be amended to two and three bedroomed flats in order better to reflect local housing needs. 

In addition, he advised that parking in this area was very congested with a Post Office, a bank and a bus stop in close proximity along the main A9 trunk road.  He felt locked bollards at the entrance to the private parking area as suggested would further exacerbate the parking problem.   He would wish to see at least two free parking spaces in the private parking area made available for wider public use and visitors to the flats. 

Mr Ian Ross, seconded by Mr Jim McGillivray, then moved that determination of the application be deferred for the developer to reconsider:

• the design, including the possibility of a pitched roof on the extension and how this would impact on the conservation area,
• the number and size of the flats, and
• parking provision

Mr Graeme Smith expressed his agreement and stated that, with so many one bedroomed flats, disturbance in the area was likely as a result of noise and the congregation of young people.   He felt the concentration of such small flats was more in line with a city and not a small town in the Highlands.

The Committee then agreed to DEFER determination of the application to allow the Area Planning Manager and applicants to have further discussion over the design, number and size of flats, the parking provision, and also the possibility of a pitched roof on the extension. 

3.3   Applicant: Mr Roger Chisholm 11/01828/FUL (PLC-036-11 (465kb pdf) )
Location:  Land opposite Ken’s Garage, Kildary 
Nature of Development: Removal of Planning Conditions 1, 5, 6 and 9 from Planning Permission 03/00390/FULRC

There had been circulated Report No PLC/036/11 by the Area Planning Manager recommending the grant of planning permission for the removal Conditions 1, 5, 6 and 9 from Planning Permission 03/00390/FULRC subject to the substitute conditions detailed in the report. 

Mr Simon Hindson, Planner, presented the report and recommendation. 

The Committee then agreed to GRANT planning permission as recommended in the report.

3.4   Applicant:  John Mackintosh11/02094/FUL (PLC-037-11 (678kb pdf) )
Location:  Land 30m North of Achinchanter House, Dornoch
Nature of Development: The erection of 3 serviced house plots and the formation of a new access.

There had been circulated Report No PLC/037/11 by the Area Planning Manager recommending the grant of planning permission subject to the conditions detailed therein. 

Mr Bob Robertson, Principal Planner, presented the report and recommendation. 

Mr Jim McGillivray stated that there was a clear rationale for accepting this application.  The application was set on what had been a steading for the farm and the new development was contained within that footprint.  He noted that the existing access was used as an informal passing place on the long stretch of road and asked if this could continue to be an informal passing place once the existing access itself was stopped up.

Mr Robertson stated that it would be possible to retain the entrance area to the stopped up access as an informal passing place.  In addition, the new access would be bigger than the previous access and would have a splay of 5.5 metres and would be more than capable of being used as an informal passing place. 

Mr Ross asked whether the option of requesting an additional passing place on the road at the entrance to the application site, if this was in the control of the developer, could also be explored. 

The Committee then agreed to GRANT planning permission subject to the conditions recommended in the report and granted delegated authority to the Area Planning Manager to explore with the developer the possibility of an additional passing place being made available.

4. Decisions of Appeals to the Scottish Government Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals

4.1  Applicant:  Mr David Skea PPA-270-2049 (70kb pdf)

Location: 43 Obsdale Road, Alness
Nature of Development:  Housing Development of 8 No 2 bedroomed apartments/ 1 No 3 bedroomed house, associated site works, improved road access and SUDS surface water drainage.

The Committee noted that the appeal had been allowed. 

5. Delegated Decisions and Performance

The Committee noted the summary of delegated decisions on planning applications from 27 May 2011 to 25 July 2011 full details of which were available on the Members’ Bulletin and via The Highland Council website. 

There being no further business the meeting closed at 11.30 pm.