APTSEC sent out an e mail today to all those on our database. The questions were straightforward but designed to help APT plan for the future. If you read this blog but do not normally receive information from us please feel free to answer the questions and either post answers on the blog or send answers through using the e mail on the LHS of the main page.
1 Do you think it is important to know how much land we are using for development and where that land is?
2 Do you think it is important to know what will be developed on the land – roads, railways, schools, surgeries, shops, houses, industrial units, tourism centres, renewable energy provision, waste management etc?
3 Do you feel that Government’s and Local Council’s could play a greater role in helping people understand the planning system? (Facilitate more courses for Community Councils from Planning Aid Scotland for example)?
4 Do you find the information that APT provides - through meetings and / or e mails and / or the blog - of any help?
5 Do you feel that you could continue to support the group? (‘Support’ can take many forms and membership is open to anyone who agrees with the groups objectives)
If you are not on our database and would like to be please contact APTSEC at the address on the LHS
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Wildlife & Natural Environment Bill
The consultation responses have now been published.
Wildlife & Natural Environment Bill Consultation Analysis
Wildlife & Natural Environment Bill Consultation Analysis
Full Consultation Analysis - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/02/15104834/0
Research Findings - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/02/15104751/0
Monday, 15 February 2010
Enhanced ePlanning goes live in the Highlands...
"An enhanced online system enabling people to submit planning applications, appeals against decisions, and track progress of proposals in the Highlands goes live on Tuesday 23rd February"
for full item see Highland Council web site click here
for full item see Highland Council web site click here
Health and Housing
A recent item picked up by 'Planning Magazine' will strike a chord with local residents concerned about the impact of the scale of development proposals planned for the area:
"Planners should consider the impact of new housing on local health services when considering planning applications, according to the British Medical Association Scotland"
Planning Magazine item here
BBC Item here
Edinburgh Evening News item here
Roll on the next census!
"Planners should consider the impact of new housing on local health services when considering planning applications, according to the British Medical Association Scotland"
Planning Magazine item here
BBC Item here
Edinburgh Evening News item here
Roll on the next census!
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Quote of the Week
"...the opportunity to further expand Nairn to the west does not present itself."
Click here and go to paragraph 5.97
"The allocations for Nairn (West) are:
16.6 hectares for 165 houses (on six sites).
4.5 hectares for a business park (of which 2 hectares can be for a tourist use).
66 hectares for a golf course.
7.4 hectares (on two sites) for open space/park.
1 hectare for community uses including a primary school
22 hectares for structural tree planting.
Hence, 117.5 hectares of land have been allocated for the expansion of Nairn to the west.
This includes substantial landscaping through tree planting, playing fields and the
provision of a golf course. This represents a rounding off of Nairn (West). It establishes
the extent of viable expansion."
Click here and go to paragraph 5.97
"The allocations for Nairn (West) are:
16.6 hectares for 165 houses (on six sites).
4.5 hectares for a business park (of which 2 hectares can be for a tourist use).
66 hectares for a golf course.
7.4 hectares (on two sites) for open space/park.
1 hectare for community uses including a primary school
22 hectares for structural tree planting.
Hence, 117.5 hectares of land have been allocated for the expansion of Nairn to the west.
This includes substantial landscaping through tree planting, playing fields and the
provision of a golf course. This represents a rounding off of Nairn (West). It establishes
the extent of viable expansion."
A statement of the Scottish Government's policy on nationally important land use planning matters
Scottish Planning Policy has now been published - Feb 2007. Here are some extracts:
The Scottish Government’s planning policies are set out in the National Planning Framework, this SPP, Designing Places, Designing Streets1 and Circulars2. This SPP is a statement of Scottish
Government policy on land use planning and contains:
• the Scottish Government’s view of the purpose of planning,
• the core principles for the operation of the system and the objectives for key parts of the
system,
• statutory guidance on sustainable development and planning under Section 3E of the
Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006,
• concise subject planning policies, including the implications for development planning and
development management, and
• the Scottish Government’s expectations of the intended outcomes of the planning system.
Planning guides the future development and use of land. Planning is about where development
should happen, where it should not and how it interacts with it’s surroundings. This involves
promoting and facilitating development while protecting and enhancing the natural and built
environment in which we live, work and spend our leisure time. Careful attention to layout,
design and construction should result in places where people want to be.
The Scottish Government believes that a properly functioning planning system is essential to
achieving its central purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth. The way in which the
planning system is structured and operated should be directed towards that purpose and to
supporting the Scottish Government’s five strategic objectives and fifteen national outcomes3.
The planning system should be judged by the extent to which it maintains and creates places
where people want to live, work and spend time. This is a major challenge which will require
permission for inappropriate development to be refused, conditions imposed to regulate
development and agreements reached on actions to mitigate impacts on amenity, natural
heritage, historic environment and communities. Efficient and inclusive planning are important
elements of the modernised planning system, but it is through the maintenance and creation of
high quality sustainable places that the most significant contribution to increasing sustainable
economic growth can be made.
The document can be found here
Other newly published documents that you may find useful include:
Planning Circular 1/2010: Planning agreements. Circular providing guidance on the processes for determining the need for, and negotiation of, planning agreements click here
and,
National Planning Framework 2 - Action Programme click here which includes details of the A96 Corridor
The Scottish Government’s planning policies are set out in the National Planning Framework, this SPP, Designing Places, Designing Streets1 and Circulars2. This SPP is a statement of Scottish
Government policy on land use planning and contains:
• the Scottish Government’s view of the purpose of planning,
• the core principles for the operation of the system and the objectives for key parts of the
system,
• statutory guidance on sustainable development and planning under Section 3E of the
Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006,
• concise subject planning policies, including the implications for development planning and
development management, and
• the Scottish Government’s expectations of the intended outcomes of the planning system.
Planning guides the future development and use of land. Planning is about where development
should happen, where it should not and how it interacts with it’s surroundings. This involves
promoting and facilitating development while protecting and enhancing the natural and built
environment in which we live, work and spend our leisure time. Careful attention to layout,
design and construction should result in places where people want to be.
The Scottish Government believes that a properly functioning planning system is essential to
achieving its central purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth. The way in which the
planning system is structured and operated should be directed towards that purpose and to
supporting the Scottish Government’s five strategic objectives and fifteen national outcomes3.
The planning system should be judged by the extent to which it maintains and creates places
where people want to live, work and spend time. This is a major challenge which will require
permission for inappropriate development to be refused, conditions imposed to regulate
development and agreements reached on actions to mitigate impacts on amenity, natural
heritage, historic environment and communities. Efficient and inclusive planning are important
elements of the modernised planning system, but it is through the maintenance and creation of
high quality sustainable places that the most significant contribution to increasing sustainable
economic growth can be made.
The document can be found here
Other newly published documents that you may find useful include:
Planning Circular 1/2010: Planning agreements. Circular providing guidance on the processes for determining the need for, and negotiation of, planning agreements click here
and,
National Planning Framework 2 - Action Programme click here which includes details of the A96 Corridor
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Check out Highland Council blogs for latest information
On HwLDP Blog 29 Jan 2010
"Over the next few weeks we will be meeting with each of the Key Agencies to discuss their responses to the Main Issues Report and how we would like to continue to work in partnership with them on the production of the proposed plan.
We will be speaking to each of the Key Agencies in turn and we will also be having a joint meeting with all of the Key Agencies present to discuss our timescales for production of the proposed plan. We will then report our progress on the production of the Highland wide Local Development Plan and a summary of the main issues arising from the consultation on the main issues report at Planning, Environment and Development Committee on March 17th 2010. This will include information on the Development Plan Scheme 2010."
Click through on link from this blog or click here
For the latest on the City Vision meetings click through to the Council's blog here
I am still 'snowed under' so posting will be less than usual. Please do stay in touch
APTSec
"Over the next few weeks we will be meeting with each of the Key Agencies to discuss their responses to the Main Issues Report and how we would like to continue to work in partnership with them on the production of the proposed plan.
We will be speaking to each of the Key Agencies in turn and we will also be having a joint meeting with all of the Key Agencies present to discuss our timescales for production of the proposed plan. We will then report our progress on the production of the Highland wide Local Development Plan and a summary of the main issues arising from the consultation on the main issues report at Planning, Environment and Development Committee on March 17th 2010. This will include information on the Development Plan Scheme 2010."
Click through on link from this blog or click here
For the latest on the City Vision meetings click through to the Council's blog here
I am still 'snowed under' so posting will be less than usual. Please do stay in touch
APTSec
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Taking a break
Pressure of work means that APTSec has to take a short blog break.
If you have any questions that you would like to raise or comments to make on anything you have read please contact us via the e mail given on the blog.
Why not take this opportunity to re-read some of the older items which may still be of interest?
Look forward to hearing from you.
If you have any questions that you would like to raise or comments to make on anything you have read please contact us via the e mail given on the blog.
Why not take this opportunity to re-read some of the older items which may still be of interest?
Look forward to hearing from you.
Why not take a look
APTSec has made reference to this before but I think it is worth providing the link again:
"Development Viability
The Scottish Government agreed to work with the private sector to develop a firm programme to better explain the importance of development economics in planning. A Draft Guide on Development Viability has been prepared with the intention of finalising it following a series of dissemination events"
The draft guide can be found here
APTSec is currently awaiting some additional information from the Planning Directorate as to when and where these 'dissemination events' will be held.
"Development Viability
The Scottish Government agreed to work with the private sector to develop a firm programme to better explain the importance of development economics in planning. A Draft Guide on Development Viability has been prepared with the intention of finalising it following a series of dissemination events"
The draft guide can be found here
APTSec is currently awaiting some additional information from the Planning Directorate as to when and where these 'dissemination events' will be held.
Councillors Code of Conduct
APTSec would once again like to direct readers to the current consultation:
Proposal for Amendments to be made to the Councillors’ Code of Conduct
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Ward forums to discuss budgets
It has come to this:
The next Black Isle Ward Forum, which takes place on Thursday (21 January), will focus on The Highland Council’s budget and take a look at the financial challenges facing Local Government and the rest of the public sector over the next four years.
For item click here
The next Black Isle Ward Forum, which takes place on Thursday (21 January), will focus on The Highland Council’s budget and take a look at the financial challenges facing Local Government and the rest of the public sector over the next four years.
Joining the Forum from The Highland Council will be Alistair Dodds, Chief Executive, Alan Geddes, Director of Finance and Cllr Sandy Park, Convener. Also present will be the Black Isle Ward Members, including Cllr David Alston who is the Council’s Budget Leader.
During the discussion and question and answer session people attending will be asked for their views on what the Council’s priorities should be when it has less money to spend on services.For item click here
Council's Asset Rationalisation
Highland's strategic planning committee (the PED Committee) will be asked to approve the assets listed in Appendix 1 (of the committee report) as surplus to the operational requirements of the Planning and Development Service at their meeting on 20/01/2010
Extract:
"The Planning and Development Service manages a wide variety of assets including countryside car parks, buildings and structures, vacant urban and industrial sites, footpaths, community woodlands and amenity land. In total these number some 225 sites throughout Highland. Some of these properties have been purchased for particular reasons, while others became the responsibility of the Service at the time of local government reorganisation in 1996 or subsequently due to Council Service restructuring.
In support of the Council’s Corporate Improvement Programme Asset Management Project, Planning and Development will be undertaking a staged review of the Service asset portfolio in order to rationalise this in relation to resources and service delivery priorities."
To view the full list of the surplus assets in the committee report click here and for the PED meeting agenda click here
Note: Agenda item 2 deals with the subject of access to high speed broadband
Extract:
"The Planning and Development Service manages a wide variety of assets including countryside car parks, buildings and structures, vacant urban and industrial sites, footpaths, community woodlands and amenity land. In total these number some 225 sites throughout Highland. Some of these properties have been purchased for particular reasons, while others became the responsibility of the Service at the time of local government reorganisation in 1996 or subsequently due to Council Service restructuring.
In support of the Council’s Corporate Improvement Programme Asset Management Project, Planning and Development will be undertaking a staged review of the Service asset portfolio in order to rationalise this in relation to resources and service delivery priorities."
To view the full list of the surplus assets in the committee report click here and for the PED meeting agenda click here
Note: Agenda item 2 deals with the subject of access to high speed broadband
Monday, 18 January 2010
"Successive governments asleep at the wheel..."
Another concise but very thought provoking item from Planning Magazine's Huw Morris:
"Shortly after becoming prime minister, Gordon Brown announced ambitious plans to build three million homes by 2020.
The initiative was effectively dead within months as the recession, credit crunch and collapse of the house building industry took hold. Last week, he was at it again with the Crown Estate's approval of nine giant offshore wind farms."
To carry on reading click here
"Shortly after becoming prime minister, Gordon Brown announced ambitious plans to build three million homes by 2020.
The initiative was effectively dead within months as the recession, credit crunch and collapse of the house building industry took hold. Last week, he was at it again with the Crown Estate's approval of nine giant offshore wind farms."
To carry on reading click here
Where does Inverness City fit in this?
Below is an extract from a report entitled Cities Outlook 2010
"A more realistic attitude to growth
Rather than swimming against the tide, and trying to attract an even spread of high-value businesses and jobs to all cities, Government policy to strengthen the recovery should take into account places’ differing strengths. This is particularly important in a time of fiscal constraints, where the effectiveness of public spending needs to be maximised.
Cities that do not have a high-value business base, or sufficient knowledge assets, may need
to adjust their economic aspirations. Rather than undertake poorly-targeted investments
to promote innovation and high-value sectors, residents of cities in this position, such as Rochdale or Barnsley, may be better served by attracting businesses that can generate jobs for
the local population, and connecting to higher value economic opportunities in nearby economic growth centres, like Manchester or Leeds."
The report ranks the economic performance of 64 of the UK's largest cities and towns and also includes an analysis of the economic performance of the City Regions, a wider definition of urban areas and a summary of City Regional devolution to date. It was an independent report financially supported by the Local Government Association. Scottish Cities included were Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
So where does Inverness fit in with this?
For more information on 'The Centre for Cities" click here
"A more realistic attitude to growth
Rather than swimming against the tide, and trying to attract an even spread of high-value businesses and jobs to all cities, Government policy to strengthen the recovery should take into account places’ differing strengths. This is particularly important in a time of fiscal constraints, where the effectiveness of public spending needs to be maximised.
Cities that do not have a high-value business base, or sufficient knowledge assets, may need
to adjust their economic aspirations. Rather than undertake poorly-targeted investments
to promote innovation and high-value sectors, residents of cities in this position, such as Rochdale or Barnsley, may be better served by attracting businesses that can generate jobs for
the local population, and connecting to higher value economic opportunities in nearby economic growth centres, like Manchester or Leeds."
The report ranks the economic performance of 64 of the UK's largest cities and towns and also includes an analysis of the economic performance of the City Regions, a wider definition of urban areas and a summary of City Regional devolution to date. It was an independent report financially supported by the Local Government Association. Scottish Cities included were Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
So where does Inverness fit in with this?
For more information on 'The Centre for Cities" click here
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