Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 The Highland Council Report of the Public Local Inquiry Into Objections to the Ross & Cromarty East Local Plan Volume 1 Key Issues, Strategy and General Policies and Landward Area Reporter: TREVOR A CROFT BSc DipTRP ARSGS FRSA MRTPI Date of Inquiry: 7 June -7 July 2005 File Reference: IQD/2/H/26 1 Foreword Foreword to the Report BACKGROUND TO THE REPORT 1. “The Highland Structure Plan Written Statement” (referred to throughout this report as ‘the structure plan’) was published in March 2000. It was approved by Scottish Ministers and became operative in March 2001. 2. In February 2000 the Highland Council (referred to as ‘the council’) gave notice of the intention to prepare a local plan for Ross and Cromarty East. Once adopted the plan would replace the four previously adopted local plans, namely: The Black Isle Local Plan, adopted in 1985; The Invergordon Local Plan, adopted in April 1986; The Mid Ross Local Plan adopted 1990; and The Easter Ross Local Plan, adopted 1992 3. Initial consultations and workshops were held, and in June 2002 a consultation draft, which was published. After a period of public consultation the council agreed changes and a Deposit Draft Ross and Cromarty east Local Plan was published in October 2004. Following a further period of consultation the council considered all the objections to the plan and proposed changes were published on 4 February 2005. Objections to these changes were submitted by 18 March 2005. 4. On 8 October 2004, I was appointed by the council to conduct a public local inquiry into objections properly received but not withdrawn into the deposit draft plan. I held a procedure meeting on 22 March 2005 in the Victoria Park football ground, Dingwall, when procedural arrangements for the inquiry were discussed. The inquiry opened in the Church of Scotland Hall, Evanton, on 7 June 2004 and continued at: the Victoria or Ross Suites, Ross County football ground, Victoria Park, Dingwall, on 8, 14, 15, 17, 21, and 28 June; the Duthac Centre, Tain, on 16 June; the West Church Hall, Cromarty on 22 June; the Ardross Community Hall, Ardross, on 23 June; the Findon Hall, Culbokie, on 24 June; the Munlochy Hall, Munlochy, on 29 June; the Town Hall, Fortrose, on 30 June and 1 July; the Village Hall, North Kessock, on 5 July; and the Old Church Hall, Muir of Ord, on 6 July; closing in the Ross Suite, Victoria Park, Dingwall on 7 July 2005. Where appropriate I made accompanied as well as unaccompanied site visits, including visits to sites referred to in written submissions. These visits were made before, during and after the inquiry, some of the sites being visited on a number of occasions. CONTENT OF THE REPORT 5. The report follows the sequence of the deposit draft local plan, that is, it comprises this introduction, followed by an index which is combined with a summary of my recommendations in relation to each topic. There follows a section on each of the objections relating to policy issues followed by those directed at individual settlements, as shown on the inset maps. Within these headings however, I have taken the objections in the order set down by the council, following the number and order set out. In many instances it has been necessary to refer to policies in the modified version of the plan as well as the deposit draft, although all my recommendations refer to the latter. Where a paragraph or policy reference is to the modified draft they are enclosed in brackets, for example H21 (H22). i 6. In an attempt to make my report more intelligible at first reading to all its potential readers, I have tried to ensure that it contains no planning acronyms or jargon. There are occasions however when the use of abbreviations has been unavoidable, in the interests of brevity, but in most cases these are preceded by the full text. 7. I have noted that in many of the documents plan the term paragraph and policy are used interchangeably, and the they are both uses in the same way throughout the text. 8. Finally, I would wish to record my appreciation of the arrangements which the council put in place for the inquiry and my recognition of the hard work which was involved by all the council’s officials who were involved. It enabled the inquiry to proceed as efficiently as it did, and to take into account the interests of all parties concerned. I would also like to thank Morven Spalding, the programme officer, for her efficient management of the administrative side of the inquiry and of the procedures involved; her assistance and support were invaluable to me throughout. Trevor A Croft Inquiry Reporter ii CONTENTS Volume 1 Foreword i List of contents ii Chapter No Subject Page of Recommendation Of this report objection this report Section 1 Key issues, strategy and general policies – plan chapters 3 to 5 1 Ch 3 paras 3.23/24 roads & traffic impact 1 Amendment to plan 2 Ch 3 para 3.28/29 & GSP1 & GSP5 Waste man’ment 6 Amendment to plan 3 Ch 4 Housing 15 No change to plan 4 Ch 4 Rural Development Area 52,59,71,141,151,154 18 Amendment to plan 5 Ch 4 para 4.16 Hinterland 20 No change to plan 6 Ch 5 General retail policy 22 Amendment to plan 7 Ch 5 general telecommunications 26 No change to plan 8 Ch 5 policies BP2, BP3 and BP4, NSAs & IGDL 29 Amendment to plan 9 Ch 5 policy BP3 33 No change to plan 10 Ch 5 policy BP4 34 No change to plan 11 Ch 5 general settlements special uses 36 No change to plan 12 Ch 5 general GSP1 sustainable construction 37 No change to plan 13 Ch 5 general GSP2 Waste water treatment 38 Amendment to plan 14 Ch 5 general GSP3 surface water drainage 41 Amendment to plan 15 Ch 5 general GSP4 flood risk 44 Amendment to plan 16 Ch 5 general GSP7 settlement extension 49 Amendment to plan 17 Ch 5 general GSP8 affordable housing allocations 52 Amendment to plan 18 Ch 5 general GSP 14 & 15 H’tat/species & B’versity 56 Amendment to plan Section 2 Landward Area plan chapter 6 19 Ch 6 L-H 03 Foddarty 60 Consider amendment 20 Ch 6 para 5 Alcaig – road improvements 62 Amendment to plan 21 Ch 6 para 6 Arabella housing 65 No change to plan 22 Ch 6 para 7 Ardross housing 67 Amendment to plan 23 Ch 6 para 9 Barbaraville housing 74 Amendment to plan 24 Ch 6 para 11 (-) Corntown housing land 76 Amendment to plan 25 Ch 6 para 12 (11) Cromarty Mains – expansion 79 Amendment to plan 26 Ch 6 para 15 (14) Easter Kinkell housing potential 82 Amendment to plan 27 Ch 6 para 18 (17) Jamestown housing to east 85 No change to plan 28 Ch 6 para 18 (17) Jamestown housing 88 Amendment to plan 29 Ch 6 para 25 (24) Newhall Point housing 90 Amendment to plan 30 Ch 6 para 26 (25) Newton of Kinkell housing 93 Amendment to plan 31 Ch 6 para 27 (26) Nigg - mapping 94 No change to plan 32 Ch 6 para 29 (29) Rhicullen/Newmore waste water 95 Amendment to plan 33 Ch 6 para 32 (31) Scotsburn natural heritage 97 Amendment to plan 34 Ch 6 para 33 (32) Windhill housing 99 Amendment to plan 35 Ch 6 para 35 (34) housing Appendix III 101 Amendment to plan 36 Ch 6 para 35 (34) housing Loch Ussie Appendix III 105 No change to plan 37 Ch 6 para 35 (34) Mid Alcaig Appendix III 110 Amendment to plan 38 Ch 6 para 36 (35) housing, general 112 No change to plan 39 Ch 6 para 36 (35) Artafallie, N Kessock, housing 113 No change to plan 40 Ch 6 para 36 (35) Balblair Farm Edderton, housing 118 No change to plan 41 Ch 6 para 36 (35) Beechwood, Maryburgh, housing 121 No change to plan 42 Ch 6 para 36 (35) Craigdarroch Drive housing 123 No change to plan 43 Ch 6 para 36 (35) Dunmore, Muir of Ord housing 126 No change to plan iii 44 Ch 6 para 36 (35) E Springfield, Resolis housing 130 No change to plan 45 Ch 6 para 36 (35) Logie Quarry, Kildary 132 No change to plan 46 Ch 6 para 36 (35) Mountpleasant housing 136 No change to plan 47 Ch 6 para 36 (35) South Sutor, housing 138 No change to plan 48 Ch 6 para 36 (35) Swordale exclusion and housing 140 No change to plan 49 Ch 6 para 37 (36) industrial site Highland Deephaven 144 Amendment to plan 50 Ch 6 para 41 (40) Nigg petrochemicals site 150 Amendment to plan 51 Ch 6 para 50 (49) Gateside Business/light industry 155 Amendment to plan 52 Ch 6 para 54 Nigg railway link 159 Amendment to plan 81 Ch 6 para 57 A832 road improvement (see issue 30) 266 No change to plan 54 Ch 6 para 60 Alness cycle/walkways 161 No change to plan 55 Ch 6 para 64 Jamestown footpath link 163 Amendment to plan 56 Ch 6 para 66 Nigg Old Church and cross 166 Amendment to plan 57 Ch 6 para 68 Country Park – Redcastle Estate 168 No change to plan 58 Ch 6 para 70 Sites of local nature conserv’n interest 170 Amendment to plan 59 Ch 6 para 71 Inv’y of Gardens and Des Landscapes 173 Amendment to plan 60 Ch 6 para 72 & 73 AGLV and LRMAs Nigg 175 Amendment to plan Volume 2 Section 3 Main settlements plan chapters 7 to 34 61 Ch 8 Alness - housing at Milnafua and Achnagarron 182 Amendment to plan 62 Ch 8 Alness – B15 business 189 No change to plan 63 Ch 8 Alness B16 business 191 Amendment to plan 64 Ch 8 Alness A26 retail/amenity 193 Amendment to plan 65 Ch 9 Avoch –Knockmuir south & east housing 195 Amendment to plan 66 Ch 9 Avoch – housing at Muiralehouse 202 No change to plan 67 Ch 10 Conon Bridge– housing nursery/fish factory 206 Amendment to plan 68 Ch 10 Conon Bridge– housing sites H4, H6, (S8) 214 Amendment to plan 69 Ch 11 Contin – housing – expansion area 218 No change to plan 70 Ch 11 Contin settlement boundary 220 Amendment to plan 71 Ch 12 Cromarty – housing (4) walled garden 225 Amendment to plan 72 Ch 12 Cromarty – expansion (housing – 13) 228 Amendment to plan 73 Ch 12 Cromarty