Dear (Christian name of APT Sec)
It's good to hear from you. I have been asked to respond - locally - to your inquiry to SNP HQ. I am the Secretary and the Planning Spokesperson for the SNP Highland Council Group and happy to do that.
As you know we have been very supportive of ATP by responding to your emails during the last few years, and indeed I believe some SNP members have attended your very informative AGMs in Croy.
You will be aware that individual planning applications are not political matters and SNP Councillors have always ensured as far as possible that due diligence shall be at the forefront of effective and efficient planning.
SNP Highland Councillors have worked to scrutinise and amend accordingly the current Highland wide Development Plan with its accompanying supplementary guidances. The meetings for the last 12 months are available on webcast as are the Planning Applications Committees for the North and South Highlands.
As regards the next 5 years, it is important that the Highlands economy starts to show significant growth, particularly with offshore renewables and we with the Scottish Government have identified Nigg and Scrabster as zones for enterprise.
In order to retain existing skills and
our youth, we have entered on a record roll-out of apprentices in an aim to
service existing energy production and prepare for prioritising broadband
and other telephony connectivity. The road infrastructure will also be
prioritised where budgets allow. We have encouraged investment locally and from
abroad.
In all this, local involvement will be paramount. We intend to halt the centralisation of council business and return local decision making to the appropriate level. Encouraging meaningful participation, that includes budgetary involvement, at the community level will ensure a greater communication with the council's planning and development process. It is imperative that people engage now with the planning and development plans through community councils and your SNP councillor at their surgeries, for example.
A successful and prosperous Highlands means working towards full employment so that there is a 21st Century infrastructure with housing, schools and leisure for all. That should of course come from the communities upwards, because people will ensure that we do not lose what we enjoy most. The environment and climate change issues will be at the heart of all the business of the council, if the SNP leads the administration after May 3rd.
Our full manifesto can be seen at: http://www.highlandsnp.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/webSNPHighlandCouncilManifesto2012.pdf
Best wishes
Councillor George Farlow
North West & Central Sutherland Ward
Highland Council SNP Group
North West & Central Sutherland Ward
Highland Council SNP Group
I then had a brief email correspondence with, by all accounts, a very busy Councillor who confirmed that all SNP candidates had also had a chance to send in an individual response if they so wished.
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