Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan - Additional Sites Consultation

Today (16th May 2013), The Highland Council has launched a focused consultation looking at further alternatives that are being considered for the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan. The consultation closes on 30th June 2013. 

Between April and July 2012 the Council carried out a consultation on the first stage of the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan, known as the Main Issues Report. The Main Issues Report gave details of sites that were considered to be suitable and unsuitable for future development. During the consultation the Council received comments from around 900 individuals, groups and organisations. Some people who made comments promoted sites that had not previously been considered through the Call for Sites process (which preceded the Main Issues Report) or through previous Development Plans. Other people proposed alternative land uses on certain sites that had been included in the Main Issues Report. In addition comments were received suggesting further changes to the Hinterland around Towns boundary; likewise to the Special Landscape Area (SLA) boundaries as well as suggesting entirely new SLAs.

The consultation includes suggestions relating to the following settlements; Alness, Beauly, Cawdor, Conon Bridge, Contin, Cromarty, Dingwall, Drumnadrochit, Evanton, Fortrose, Invergordon, Inverness, Muir of Ord, Munlochy, Nairn, North Kessock, Seaboard Villages, Strathpeffer, Tain, Tore. The consultation also considers the suggested changes to the Hinterland around Towns and Special Landscape Areas.

We have made initial preferences and assessments but we would like you to tell us what you think about these initial preferences and your own.

To aid the decision making process an addendum to the Strategic Environmental Assessment has been prepared and we are welcoming expressions of opinion on this as well.

The consultation document is available online using our Interactive Online Local Development Plan. This is available on the link below:

http://planning.highland.gov.uk/oldp//docSelectAction.do?docId=162

Comments submitted will be considered alongside others submitted during the Main Issues Report and will help us to prepare the next stage of the Plan, known as the Proposed Plan. The comments received will help us to decide whether any of these alternative sites or land uses are suitable and should therefore be identified as additional or alternative sites to those included in the Main Issues Report.  

Upcoming Scottish Government Consultation Events

With the Main Issues Report for National Planning Framework 3 and the draft Scottish Planning Policy currently out for consultation, The Scottish Government are doing a tour of Scotland providing information and answering questions on the consultation documents.

The First event is in the Eastgate Centre, Inverness on 14th May 2013 between 9am and 6pm (opposite Thomas Cook in the Falcon Gallery).

For more information on these documents and other events durign the consutlation please see:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/planning/NPF3-SPP-Review

The Scottish Government are also progressing design work on the dualling of the A9 trunk road between Inverness and Perth. As part of this they are holding exhibitions to consult with members of the public on their work so far.

Their are coming to the Highland area in early June at the following locations:

Monday 3rd June - Aviemore Community Hall - 1130am-730pm
Wednesday 5th June - Kincraig Community Hall - 1130am-730pm
Friday 7th June - Kingussie Hall of the Roses - 1130am-730pm
Monday 10th June - Inverness Town House - 1130am - 730pm

You can find more information about the A9 Dualling at:
 http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/road/projects/a9

Cairngorms National Park Local Development Plan

The Cairngorms National Park Authority are responsible for producing Planning policies and guidance for the National Park.

Consulation on the Proposed Cairngorms Local Development Plan started today and runs until the 5th July 2013.

You can find out more, including how to comment, on the link below:

http://cairngorms.co.uk/park-authority/planning/local-plan/local-development-plan

If you have any questions please contact the Cairngorms National Park Authority on:

• e-mail - localplan@cairngorms.co.uk
• Phone - 01339 753601
• Fax - 01339 755334

Torvean and Ness-side Development Brief

A draft version of a Development Brief for the Torvean and Ness-side areas of Inverness has now been published.  The brief sets out a suggested land use planning framework against which future development proposals in the area would be assessed.  Importantly, it reflects the policy advice given in the Highland-wide Local Development Plan and Scottish Planning Policy (including Designing Streets and Designing Places).

The draft development brief will be presented to City of Inverness and Area Committee on 15th April 2013.

The consultation officially begins on 16th April 2013 and will close on 31st May 2013. You can find out more, view the document and make comments online at :

http://www.highland.gov.uk/tndb

There are going to be two public exhibitions for people to come and find out more about the brief:

• 17th April 2013 - Kinmylies Church, Inverness; and
• 18th April 2013 - Culduthel Christian Centre, Inverness.

Throughout the consultation you can tweet your views to our account @highlanddevplan or use the hastag #tndb.

Update (09/04/2013)


The agenda for the City of Inverness and Area Committee has been released and is available on the link below:

http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/committees/invernessnairnbadenochandstrathspeymeetings/invernesscitycommittee/2013-04-15-cia-ag.htm


The Torvean and Ness-side Development Brief is Item 6b.

The Committee will be webcast here.

Suite of Supplementary Guidance now part of Highland's plan

The Council has recently adopted Supplementary Guidance to the Highland-wide Local Development Plan on 16 key topics. Each Supplementary Guidance document is accessible by clicking on its link below. These documents are now part of the development plan for Highland. This means that they are particularly important for developers to consider when they are preparing development proposals - and for the Council to have regard to when considering planning applications.  
• Flood Risk and Drainage Impact Assessments
• Green Networks
• Historic Environment Strategy
• Open Space in New Residential Developments
• Sustainable Design Guide
• Trees, Woodlands and Development
• Inverness City Centre Development Brief
• Developer Contributions
• Highland Statutorily Protected Species
• Housing in Multiple Occupation
• Housing in the Countryside
• Nigg Yard Master Plan
• Physical Constraints
• Public Art Strategy
• Sandown Development Brief
• Managing Waste in New Developments

New front covers will be added to these adopted Supplementary Guidance documents on our website soon!


The Physical Constraints Supplementary Guidance will in due course also be published online in a form that will provide people with access to mapping of physical constraints to development.

The Council continues to work on further Supplementary Guidance documents. For more information, see the update to our Development Plan Scheme that was considered and agreed by Committee on 13 March 2013.

Report Back from Wick and Thurso Charrettes

As an innovative way of starting work on the new Caithness and Sutherland Local Development Plan - CaSPlan - the Wick and Thurso Charrettes brought local communities together in February 2013 to develop options and a vision for the future of each town. Charrettes are intensive design-led workshops which identify people's ideas, seek consensus and work up outcomes over a short period of time. Report Back sessions were held in Wick on Tuesday 26 February and in Thurso on Wednesday 27 February. A report back newletter and a key themes sheet is available for each town by following the respective link below to our website:
Wick Charrette
Thurso Charrette
The consultant team that led the Charrettes with the Council are now preparing a final report. The outcomes will be taken forward within preparation of the Local Development Plan and through other initiatives.

Wick and Thurso communities to get unique opportunity to plan their futures

Work on the new Caithness and Sutherland Local Development Plan will begin in early 2013. As part of this the communities of Wick and Thurso will each have a unique opportunity to shape the future of their community and influence future development decisions in the area.

The Highland Council will be holding innovative public consultation events known as Charrettes in both Wick and Thurso. These events will enable local people to put forward their ideas and help design the future development of their towns. During the events people will be asked to share their views on issues such as where difference types of development should be located, what services and facilities are needed and which areas should be safeguarded from development. Representatives from local organisations, key agencies and the Highland Council will also be in attendance so that people can discuss their ideas.
The aim of the Charrette events will be to prepare whole-town masterplans which will feed into the first stage of the Caithness and Sutherland Local Development Plan, known as the Main Issues Report. It is hoped that involving local people in this process will create a joined-up approach to planning and delivering development and regeneration, attract new investment and jobs, and bring benefits to these two towns and the wider Caithness and Sutherland area.

Launch events are being held in January (23rd in Thurso and 24th in Wick) with the actual Charrettes taking place in late February (21st – 27th). Further details of the events will be widely advertised in the run up to the events.

The Charrettes are taking place with financial assistance from Scottish Government which is being used to employ a group of urban design specialists to facilitate the events. The Scottish Government Minister for Local Government and Planning, Derek Mackay said: “These Charrettes present a tremendously exciting opportunity for everyone who cares about Thurso and Wick to join in creating a vision for the future of the towns. By funding these Charrettes, the Scottish Government wants to give a chance to everyone in the areas to work together to talk about their priorities and the challenges facing Thurso and Wick and how they can be addressed, and engage in the development of Local Development Plans.”
The consultancy team is led by John Thompson & Partners (JTP). Charles Campion from JTP said: “We are looking forward to working with the local communities in Wick and Thurso and helping in the preparation of the new Local Development Plan. Our role is to make sure that many people and varied interests are involved in the process, and that their views are heard and considered. We will also be illustrating the ideas discussed and drawing up new masterplans for each town.”

The Highland Council has used the Charrette format twice in the past to develop masterplans for major development sites at Sandown, Nairn and the Torvean and Ness-side areas of Inverness. The Highland Council’s Chairman of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee, Councillor Thomas Prag said: “People were sceptical about the process – but once they had taken part they came away feeling their ideas had been listened to and often appeared in the draft plans in front of their eyes. For Wick and Thurso there is an opportunity to use Charrettes in a new way to help improve the early stages of the plan-making process for whole towns, identifying options for each town, exploring those options and whether there is a degree of consensus. We encourage people to come along and help shape the plans – it’s fun too!”

If you wish to register your interest beforehand or if you have any questions then please email the Highland Council’s Development Plans Team devplans@highland.gov.uk or phone 01463 702827. You can also follow the Development Plans Team on Twitter @highlanddevplans

Houses in Multiple Occupation - Consultation

Highland Council Press Release 09/11/12
The Highland Council has prepared revised planning guidance for Houses in Multiple Occupation proposals and is asking for people’s views on it.

From 12th November the draft guidance will be available to view on the website www.highland.gov.uk and in local Highland Council Libraries, Service Points and at Council Headquarters in Inverness. The consultation runs until 21st December 2012.

Following a year-long moratorium on planning permission for new Houses in Multiple Occupation within Inverness City Centre, the Council is seeking people’s views so it can take forward a positive approach to Houses in Multiple Occupation for Inverness City Centre and the rest of Highland. These approaches have been brought forward through an intensive period of partnership working between Council services and key stakeholders.

Councillor George Farlow, Vice Chairman of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee, said: “There is a demand for houses in multiple occupation to provide accommodation for a wide range of households including young people in employment or seeking work, students and lower income households as well as people who need support and those who are at risk of homelessness. There is no area in Highland where the need and demand for this type of accommodation is as high as it is in Inverness. This consultation gives everyone the chance to let us know what they think about the different options for addressing houses in multiple occupation provision within Inverness City Centre and across the rest of Highland.”

Comments on the guidance should be sent to the Council in writing, either by email to devplans@highland.gov.uk or by post to Development Plans Team, The Highland Council, Council Offices, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX, to arrive no later than 21st December 2012.

A Direct link to the webpage containing the guidance is below:
http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourenvironment/planning/developmentplans/developmentplanpolicyguidance/hmo.htm

If you have any questions please contact the team by e-mail to devplans@highland.gov.uk or phone 01463 702261.

Scottish Government Announcement on The Future of Scottish Planning

Below is an extract from the Scottish Government's Planning and Building News e-bulletin


Planning Minister Derek Mackay outlined a major review of Scottish Planning Policy and the programme for delivery of Scotland's third National Planning Framework.


In a statement to Parliament, Mr Mackay stressed the importance of the planning system in creating sustainable economic growth for Scotland.

And he announced a programme of engagement on the National Planning Framework (NPF) - which will set priorities for national development over the next 20 to 30 years - as well as a review of Scottish Planning Policy, to spell out how that vision will be delivered.

As part of the review of the NPF Mr Mackay launched a call for Candidate National Developments to be considered for inclusion in the final document. The selected developments must make a significant contribution to Scotland's sustainable economic growth and be of national, rather than regional, significance.

Mr Mackay stressed he wants everyone with an interest in the future of Scotland to be able to have a say in developing the national framework and launched online the Participation Statement which set out how people can get involved.

For more information on the statement made to Parliament please see...

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2012/09/PlanState180912

National Recognition for The Highland Council’s Plan for the Future

Highland Council Press Release 07/09/2012

The Highland Council’s ambitious vision to support the sustainable economic growth of the Highland’s has been commended at a national awards ceremony.

The Highland-wide Local Development Plan received a Commendation at the Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning in the Quality of Service Category. This year marked the 15th Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning (SAQP) which is one of the Scottish Government's most prestigious events and celebrates achievements in planning, from strategic visions to development on the ground.

The Highland-wide Local Development Plan seeks to deliver new houses, jobs and infrastructure while recognising and protecting the special natural, built and cultural heritage of our area. The Plan was commended as it “embraced the modernised planning system by streamlining all of its different local development plans into one ‘live’ map-based document that supports delivery on the ground.”

Councillor George Farlow, Vice Chair of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee, who collected the commendation with, Malcolm Macleod, Head of Planning said, “The Highland-wide Local Development Plan is a document which has and will continue to deliver sustainable economic growth across Highland. This commendation is an excellent achievement and rewards the hard work which has been put into delivering this ambitious plan which will help to grow and strengthen communities.”

In presenting the award Derek Mackay, Minister for Local Government and Planning said, "I congratulate The Highland Council’s Highland-wide Local Development Plan on their commendation at the Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning. This is the first year that I have had the pleasure of being involved in the awards, and I was struck by the high number of good quality applications, and the innovation and hard work that has clearly gone into these projects. Such good applications are a testament to the continued hard work of the profession, and how important it is for us to promote, highlight and celebrate success. Given the standard of the competition, the Highland-wide Local Development Plan’s commendation is all the more impressive, and I congratulate everyone involved."

Speaking more generally about the awards Colin Haylock, UK President of the Royal Town Planning Institute said, "Planning is all about creating great places for people. That is why I am delighted that these projects demonstrate how the profession in Scotland constantly strives to use its skills, ingenuity and commitment to make this happen. My wholehearted congratulations go all award winners."

You can view information on the all projects which received awards or commendations athttp://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/planning/National-Planning-Policy/awards