HwLDP not quite ready says Reporters' Monthly Update

Highland-wide Local Development Plan

Reporters' Monthly Progress Update for November 2011

"Work has continued finalising the report and many of the Schedule 4 forms

have been proof read and cleared for final inclusion in the report as a whole.

Unfortunately, it has not been possible to meet the hoped for target of the end

of November for delivery to the council. Some of the issues turned out to be

more complex than anticipated in terms of the background reading needed and

the evidence before them.

The reporters are now working on the final sections of the report and are

optimistic of delivery to the council before Christmas."

THC web page here

Inverness Courier Reports on Campus and West Link Consultation

Only Campus details on line at the moment see here

West Midlands, 'Sex on a Stick' for Development Sites; good grief

Claims that the West Midlands is 'sex on a stick' for potential sites for a series of 'villages of the future' feature in today's newspaper round-up.

'Regeneration and Renewal'; more here

Pension funds could pay for Large Scale Schemes

The expert who advised the Labour government on its eco-towns policy has called for a new town development delivery vehicle which would use pension fund cash to buy land for proposed new large-scale developments.

so says headline in 'Planning'; more here

Public Say on Nairn Sandown

Public to have their say on future development of Sandown, Nairn (01/12/11)

Members of the public are to have their say on a masterplan for the future development of land at Sandown to the west of Nairn.

The Highland Council has agreed that an architect-led charrette (workshop) will take place early in the New Year to allow the local community and other interests a detailed say in the design and detailed lay out of this area of Nairn, which is owned by the Nairn Common Good Fund.

A charrette is an interactive design workshop, held over a number of days, that allows the community, local authorities and a wide range of stakeholders to come together to design and develop a community masterplan.

It is a dynamic process that typically involves public launch and conclusion meetings with topic-based design workshops in between.

The design process is iterative with discussion translated into emerging designs which are presented for further debate and discussion. These principles will be applied to Sandown.

Council Convener Sandy Park said: “The result we are looking for is a masterplan informed by a wide range of views where everyone has had a chance to shape proposals. The Scottish Government is very supportive of this charrette-style working and believes it should form a central role in the design of new and regenerated places and neighbourhoods.

“The aim is collaborative working, combining technical, professional and community knowledge to create positive places. We hope the local community and other interests will participate enthusiastically and we will publish further details soon.”

-ends-

From THC web page here