Scotland's Census - Release 1B now available

'Release 1B of results from Scotland's Census 2011 is now available on the Scotland's Census website.

These statistics provide estimates of the usually resident population of Scotland and each council area on census day, broken down by five-year age bands and sex, together with estimates of the number of households in each council area.' 


(I have just received the above in the latest email alert from the 'National Records of Scotland')

Update on Nairn and Inverness Developments now available in Report

A 'Major Applications' Report** notes the following updates (amongst others):

• Land At Cawdor Road,Nairn South, Nairn - Progress to Committee following production of Master Plan. Master Plan out for focused consultation. Noise impact assessment still outstanding from applicant. Determination September 13

• Land To North Of A96 Extending From, Whiteness Access Road To , The Common Good Land, Nairn - Draft Section 75 with applicant's solicitors. Emails sent to agent chasing up on 11.01.2013 and 28.01.2013

• Viewhill, Inverness - Awaiting submission of winter bat survey. Targetting April or May Committee depending when submitted and contents.

• Land North East Of, Tornagrain, Dalcross, Inverness - Granted at Committee 21 Aug 2012. Discussion with Applicant on S75 progressing satisfactorily. Determination April 13

PANS

• Land SouthOfNairn Academy, Balblair Road,Nairn - Mixed use development including approx 250 houses(mixed type and tenure), open space,railway bridge for pedestrains and cyclists, landscaping and landscape buffer, access and transport improvements associated infrastructure and business and industry (including sawmill expansion area for storage)

[**This report provides an update on progress of all cases within the ‘Major’ development category currently with the Planning and Development Service for determination and identifies those proposed applications which have Proposal of Application Notice (PAN). The report also details progress on proposals submitted under s36 or s37 of the Electricity Act 1989 on which the Council is consulted.

Recommendation to Committee: That the current position of these applications is noted.] 

The Report will be presented at:

'A meeting of the South Planning Applications Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Tuesday 26 March 2013 at 10.30 am.
Agenda here'

RTPI's 'Ten Principles for NPF3'

The Royal Town Planning Institute in Scotland has recently published:

 'Ten Principles for the Third National Planning Framework'

The relevant web page begins;

'RTPI Scotland recently submitted some thinking to Scottish Government on the way forward for the 3^rd National Planning Framework (NPF3).  We wanted to keep this high level and constructive and so developed 10 principles we think need to be applied to document.  These are wide ranging but hopefully helpful in taking forward discussion on what the document should be doing, how it should be organised and how it fits with other strategies.'

The ten points taken from the text are:

1. NPF3 should be ambitious

2. NPF3 should prioritise.

3. NPF3 should be integrative.

4. NPF3 should be influential.

5. NPF3 should be clear and holistic

6. NPF 3 should focus on delivery.

7. NPF3 could be based around outcomes

8. NPF3 needs to be directly linked to the revised Scottish Planning Policy

9. There needs to be clarity on where NPF3 links with other policy, guidance, 

advice and good practice. 

10. NPF3 needs to be based on sound evidence and needs to be monitored to 
ensure it continues to be fit for purpose.

Elaborating on point 7 above, 'outcomes':


Initial thinking undertaken by RTPI Scotland has identified ten possible outcomes. 
These are: 

1. A sustainable Scotland – a country which lives within its environmental limits 
2. A liveable Scotland – a country which is an attractive place to live, work and 
visit 
3. An affordable Scotland – a country where people and communities can 
access the goods and services they need at a price they can afford 
4. A connected Scotland – a country where people, communities and
businesses can link with one another and with others outside of Scotland 
5. A resilient Scotland – a country which is adaptable and able to deal with 
short, medium and long term change 
6. A wealthy Scotland – a country where business, communities and people 
can thrive 
7. A healthy Scotland – a country which supports its people and communities to 
improve their wellbeing 
8. A fair Scotland – a country which has a just society aimed at improving the 
quality of life for all 
9. An inclusive Scotland – a country where people and communities are 
engaged in shaping the way it works 
10. An efficient Scotland – a country where its Institutions work individually and 
together, coherently, effectively, transparently and timeously 

Quite frankly I think outcome '9' , an 'Inclusive Scotland', can never be realised.  As the economic situation deteriorates further and choices become more difficult it is my belief that the planning system will submit totally to the overriding consideration that whoever has the money to develop will get to build, it won't matter what or where or what the strategy might be - because it will simply be a matter of getting someone to build something somewhere that somebody can afford to buy.  Simple economics.  

Of course, the above scenario  would jeopardise many of the other RTPI Scotland identified outcomes as well.

Implications for blogging - more detail

I have just attempted to read the full Judgement  in the case as mentioned in the previous post  and the Judgement  is very detailed as it outlines the relationship that a particular family has had with planning issues.  

What interests me however is presented in one single paragraph of the judgement:

11 Her postings are all highly critical of the Council. The Council and Mr James do not, of course, suggest that there is anything unlawful about Mrs Thompson maintaining a blog which is critical of the Council. Everyone is entitled to publish to the world opinions that they honestly hold about matters of public interest. Everyone is entitled to state facts which are true.

Now I still find the statements in the paragraph above very confusing and I still find things very scary.  I do not have a planning or legal background and I find it very difficult to write good, 'lean' pieces for the blog; sometimes I go into so much complex planning detail that readers (if I still have any left) must surely fall asleep.  I still (obviously) wholeheartedly believe in the objectives of APT and that development should be in the public interest.  I cannot help but highlight, despite a lack of support and training, where I believe the planning system and its operation is falling short of the ideals of planning that should be upheld in order to engender public support and confidence.

What worries me is that I feel too inhibited by the fear of any challenge (however unlikely that may be) to reasonably express things which deserve to reach a wider audience.