Scotia Homes has made a submission to the Main Issues Report for the Highland-wide Local Development Plan. This submission can be found hereIncluded in the submission is a letter advising that Scotia Homes will be progressing an application for Croy 'South West'. As a resident of Croy APTSec requested more information regarding this planning application from The Planning Authority. I felt it was appropriate to ask for detail, since no details of the application had been included with the submission but the submission was asking for land to be zoned to support this application.
Here is a brief summary of the answers I received:
Mr Watt was advised in a very informal meeting on 18/11/09 that any proposal for development of this scale should follow the Highland Council’s pre-application advice service as set out in the following link
Pre-Application Advice Service
As a recent post on this blog has revealed, this pre-application guidance indicates:
“There is a possibility that, under the Freedom of Information Act, The Council will be asked to provide information regarding inquiries for pre-application advice and copies of any advice provided or correspondence entered into. This information may only be withheld if its disclosure could prejudice commercial interests, inhibit the free and frank provision of advice or exchange of views during the planning process, or could prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs. Those seeking pre-application advice should provide a covering letter that sets out the reasons why, and for how long, any information relating to the case needs to remain confidential..."
I understand from Mr Hartland, Planning THC, that following the meeting on the 26/01/2010 Scotia Homes have requested, via e-mail, that the information they presented and the advice given by the Council remains confidential while legal discussions take place between Scotia Homes and the
landowner and that, "It is our assessment that, at this time, the information presented by Scotia Homes at the meeting and the advice subsequently offered is exempt from release under the Freedom of Information Act, given that its disclosure could prejudice commercial interests. Any developer promoting development of this scale requires to undertake pre-application consultation with the local community, at which time the information should be made available to the wider public."
APTSec is keen to find out from other members of the public whether they have had a similar experience. Please contact using apt e mail
I had not expected my earlier prediction (made in a comment on the 31 March blog-post about the new planning process) to be proved right so soon.
ReplyDeleteIn that comment I expressed concern that developers would use the opportunity offered by the Disclaimer within the new planning procedure to keep their development proposals secret and to secure exemption from Freedom of Information disclosure requests on grounds of "commercial confidentiality".
Here we have Scotia Homes doing exactly that.... and trying to prevent local residents, and the wider public, from knowing and discussing what they are proposing to do.