INNER MORAY FIRTH PROPOSED LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN - 6 Week Consultation

The Proposed Plan for the Inner Moray Firth is go to the Planning Committee Next week


Committee Report is HERE


[IMPORTANT - SEE SECTION HIGHLIGHTED IN BOLD BELOW]

PED Committee is asked to 

(i) note the comments received on the Main Issues Report and the proposed responses as set out in Appendix 3;

(ii) agree the Proposed Plan and Action Programme as set out in Appendices 1 and 2 for a 6 week public consultation subject to minor post-Committee changes, including formatting, typographic and illustrative amendments agreed in consultation with the Chair of this Committee;

(iii) acknowledge that, as the settled view of the Council, the Proposed Plan as approved will be treated as a material planning consideration for development management purposes as of 18th September 2013.

More posts on this Proposed Plan soon 

"INVERNESS AIRPORT BUSINESS PARK – ANNUAL REPORT" put before PED

EXTRACTS:

'This report provides Members with updated information on the current financial position of Inverness Airport Business Park Limited. Members are invited to note the report.

The Inverness Airport Business Park (IABP) Limited company was established in May 2005 and is a joint venture between Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, Moray Estates and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Inverness Airport Business Park Ltd issued Loan Stock of £1.175m to the Council to reflect the cost incurred by the Council in building the new access road to the airport from the A96. The repayment of this Loan Stock will allow the Council to recover its costs in constructing the road, albeit over a period of
time. The Council is currently represented on Inverness Airport Business Park Ltd. Board of Directors by Councillor Thomas Prag, whilst the Director of Planning and Development currently attends an executive group in an advisory capacity. This provides the Council with the ability to closely monitor the financial situation of the Inverness Airport Business Park Ltd.

As reported to the Planning Environment and Development Committee in January 2011, Inverness Airport Business Park Ltd opted to defer the first repayment of the Loan Stock, amounting to £587.5k, due to be received by the Council in May 2010. This deferment was made in accordance with the Loan Stock agreement which allows the Company to defer the payment if they believe the repayment would have a prejudicial impact on their business proposals for the Business Park. Under the deferment arrangements, the
2010 repayment now becomes payable to the Council in May 2015 unless independent reviews of the Company’s accounts indicate the deferred amount can be paid earlier. The company has no option but to repay the loan stock if these independent reviews provide an opinion that the repayment can be made without prejudicing the development.

...Inverness Airport Business Park Ltd continues to have insufficient funds to repay the Loan Stock without the payment having a prejudicial impact on their business proposals for the Business Park...

The Balance Sheet to March 2013 indicates the net worth of the company as £317,799 (£392,782 as at March 2012) and the Profit and Loss Accounts report a loss of £77,983 (loss of £21,475 for the year to March 2012) over the same period. These figures reflect that the company has still to fully commence its trading activities and is at an early stage in developing the business park

Extract Ends


Report can be found here


More details about IABP


iabp.co.uk

Video

From 2009 Press and Journal item;

"Plans for a multimillion-pound business park next to Inverness Airport could be approved next week.

The 500-acre development on land south and west of the airport is expected to boost the region’s economy by more than £100million a year and create 1,250 jobs by 2021.

The scheme at Dalcross would also include conference facilities, hotels, industrial units, restaurants and shops.

Construction could begin in 2011."

Airport's 500-acre business park is cleared for take-off

"Over the life of the project the business park is expected to extend over 550 acres.

It will include offices, hotels, conference facilities, shops, restaurants and industrial units covering an area 34 times the size of the current Tesco store at Inverness Retail Park.

Over the next decade it is expected to create in the region of 1200 jobs and generate millions of pounds for the local economy."

From 07 April 2011

A development company has said it would expect to spend £30m in creating the first phase of a new business park at the main airport in the Highlands.

IABP said the deal was one of the most significant for the Highlands in years and could lead to more than 1,200 jobs.

Work on the first phase could start by the end of this year.

From June 12 2013

'Bristow Boss Tours Inverness Airport Business Park'

From 19 March 2013 Inverness Courier

"PATIENCE will be needed as efforts continue to attract companies to the Inverness Airport Business Park, the organisation’s new chairman has warned.

More than three years after the 250 hectare project received planning consent, Bond Air Services remains the only tenant and no operator has come forward to run a hoped- for hotel."

I wonder how much time it will take for the Council to get its Loan Stock repaid?

Service Plan puts "...customers and communities at the heart of everything..."

'Planning and Development Service Seirbheis Dealbhaidh is Leasachaidh 

Service Plan Plana Seirbheis 

2013/17'

The Plan states:

"The Planning and Development Service has drafted a new Service Plan, which describes the Service strategy for the period to May 2017. It is a source of information for the public, Council Members, Service management and staff. This is the strategic document for the Service, outlining the current position and our
main improvement priorities, the impact of these, and how they will be evaluated. It is supported by corporate policies, business and operational plans designed to deliver the Programme for the Highland Council and other key Service objectives...

The draft Service Plan confirms the following vision and mission statement
for the Service:

To be the best Planning & Development Service in Scotland.

‘To promote sustainable economic growth and to safeguard the built and natural
environment of the Highlands’.

In achieving this vision the service will be guided by the Values of the Highland
Council and the following principles:

• Open for business – a “can do” approach
• Team work – support for our staff and partners to achieve excellence
• Customer focus – our customers and communities at the heart of everything
• Innovation – developing best practice
• Continuous improvement - in everything we do.."

End of Extract

A packed agenda for Highland Council Strategic Planning Committee

'A meeting of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness onWednesday, 18 September 2013.'

Details here