Argyll and Bute Council Development and Infrastructure Services
Delegated or Committee Planning Application Report and Report of handling as required by Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2008 relative to applications for Planning Permission or Planning Permission in Principle ______
Reference No : 15/00432/PP
Planning Hierarchy : Local
Applicant : Kilfinan Community Forest Company
Proposal : Erection of 5 Affordable Dwellinghouses and Office/Training Centre, installation of 3 sewage treatment plants and associated works incorporating the submission of a masterplan in respect of 15/01140/MPLAN (Potential Development Area 2/101).
Site Address : Lower Acharossan Forest, Land to the North West of Primary School, Tighnabruaich ______
DECISION ROUTE
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 ______
(A) THE APPLICATION
(i) Development Requiring Express Planning Permission
• Erection of five affordable dwellinghouses;
• Erection of office/training centre;
• Installation of three sewage treatment plants;
• Connection to private water supply;
• Upgrade of existing private access.
(ii) Other specified operations
§ Structural landscaping
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(B) RECOMMENDATION:
Having due regard to the Development Plan and all other material considerations it is recommended that planning permission be granted subject to the conditions, reasons and informative notes given at the end of this report. ______
(C) HISTORY:
Planning Permission (ref: 10/00452/PP) granted on 20 th May 2010 for the formation of a forest access road.
No objections on 5 th July 2010 for an Agricultural Prior Notification (ref: 10/00750/PNAGRI) for the erection of an allotment hut, compost/machinery shed and four polytunnels.
Planning Permission (ref: 11/00311/PP) granted on 16 th May 2011 for the erection of a timber composting toilet and soakaway.
Planning Permission (ref: 11/01084/PP) granted on 22 nd September 2011 for the erection of a culvert and handrails.
Planning Permission (ref: 11/02030/PP) granted on 19 th January 2012 for the erection of a 60 metre high meteorological mast for a temporary period of 18 months.
No objections on 25 th June 2013 for a Forestry Prior Notification (ref: 13/00614/PNFOR) for the erection of a forestry storage building.
Planning Permission (ref: 13/01915/PP) granted on 6th December 2013 for a micro hydro scheme.
No objections on 17 th October 2013 for a Forestry Prior Notification (ref: 13/02019/PNFOR) for the erection of a forestry building.
Planning Permission (ref: 13/02118/PP) granted on 15 th November 2013 for the variation of Condition 1 of Planning Permission 11/02030/PP to allow the retention of the meteorological mast.
Non Material Amendment (ref: 14/01900/NMA) granted on 22 nd August 2014 for minor changes to micro hydro scheme. ______
(D) CONSULTATIONS:
SEPA (letter dated 14 th May 2015):
No objection.
Area Roads Manager (report dated 17 th May 2015):
No objection subject to conditions.
Access Team (report received 19 th May 2015)
General comments regarding core paths, etc.
West of Scotland Archaeology Service (letter dated 20 th May 2015)
Recommends condition regarding implementation of a programme of archaeological works prior to the commencement of the development.
______
(E) PUBLICITY:
Regulation 20 Advertisement (closing date 29th May 2013). ______
(F) REPRESENTATIONS:
No representations received. ______
(G) SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Has the application been the subject of:
(i) Environmental Statement: No (ii) An appropriate assessment under the Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1994: No (iii) A design or design/access statement: No (iv) A report on the impact of the proposed development eg. Retail impact, transport impact, noise impact, flood risk, drainage impact etc: No (v) Supporting Information: Yes
A Supporting Statement has been submitted dated 1 st February 2015, a summary of which is as follows:
• Kilfinan Community Forest Company (KCFC) is a registered Scottish charity formed in 2007. In 2010, KCFC purchased the lower part of Acharossan Forest (125 hectares) on behalf of the residents of the Kilfinan parish, and what was once an unvisited tract of uninspiring commercial forestry has since then become a valuable community asset. KCFC aims to deliver a variety of benefits to the Kilfinan community, including the development of recreational facilities, further employment opportunities and the provision of genuinely affordable housing;
• Current projects include community allotments, forest walks, a community composting facility, wood fuel supply and sawmill. The considerable investment required to subsidise such activities primarily comes from the generous support of governmental funding agencies and income generated by the charity; significantly, through sales of standing timber. However, whilst these funding sources continue to enable the forest to carry out projects and fulfil many different aims and objectives, they do not guarantee the sustainable future of the charity;
• It has always been considered that the best way to maintain a ‘ living forest ’ is to actually have people living in the forest, encouraging a sense of belonging and ownership. A modest long term housing development is proposed to be the way of fulfilling these goals, delivering affordable housing, jobs and revenue and securing the community benefit of the forest in the long term;
• In terms of the proposed affordable housing, KCFC has a substantial land holding, the aim of which is to provide community benefits; therefore, the charity can make building land available at substantially below market rates as part of its wider community benefit remit. Engineering studies that have been commissioned have shown that, with innovative design, substantial parts of the building structure can be made from logs processed on the site whilst still meeting all the requirements of the current Building Standards. The plan is for KCFC houses to be built using a mixture of experienced project managers, local professionals, skilled volunteers and, perhaps most importantly, apprentices. Provision of training has always been one of KCFC’s goals and it already has a strong track record on training delivery;
• In order to avoid the possibility of householders taking a profit by moving on quickly – a potential issue which has been flagged up at various consultations that have been carried out – KCFC will seek to apply a Rural Housing Burden. A legal framework is currently being set up and, through a relatively new statute, it has been applied successfully elsewhere;
• Despite the elevated position of the site, the surrounding trees (to be retained and enhanced) do effectively screen the development, meaning that it will have little visual intrusion on the rest of the village, only actually being visible from a few buildings some distance away. That said, the housing area is very much in the centre of what is becoming high quality amenity woodland and, therefore, buildings will need to complement rather than impose on the landscape. For this reason, all buildings will be low rise (less than 4.5 metres in height), using the lack of land investment pressure to enable building single storey only. This will create an outline that blends in with rather than contradicts the surrounding topography;
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(H) PLANNING OBLIGATIONS
Is a Section 75 agreement required: No ______
(I) Has a Direction been issued by Scottish Ministers in terms of Regulation 30, 31 or 32: No ______
(J) Section 25 of the Act; Development Plan and any other material considerations over and above those listed above which have been taken into account in the assessment of the application
(i) List of all Development Plan Policy considerations taken into account in assessment of the application.
Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan 2015
LDP DM1 – Development within the Development Management Zones LDP 3 – Supporting the Protection, Conservation and Enhancement of our Environment LDP 9 – Development Setting, Layout and Design LDP 11 – Improving our Connectivity and Infrastructure
Supplementary Guidance
SG LDP ENV 6 – Development Impact on Trees / Woodland SG LDP ENV 13 –Development Impact on Areas of Panoramic Quality (APQs) SG LDP ENV 20 – Development Impact on Sites of Archaeological Importance SG LDP HOU 1 – General Housing Development including Affordable Housing SG LDP COM 2 – Community Plans and New/Extended Crofting Townships Sustainable Siting and Design Principles Delivery of Affordable Housing SG LDP SERV 1 – Private Sewerage Treatment Plants and Wastewater (i.e. drainage) systems SG LDP SERV 6 – Private Water Supplies and Water Conservation SG LDP SERV 7 – Flooding and Land Erosion SG LDP TRAN 4 – New and Existing, Public Roads and Private Access Regimes SG LDP TRAN 6 –Vehicle Parking Provision
(ii) List of all other material planning considerations taken into account in the assessment of the application, having due regard to Annex A of Circular 4/2009.
PDA Masterplan (ref: 15/01140/MPLAN) Planning History ______
(K) Is the proposal a Schedule 2 Development not requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment: No ______
(L) Has the application been the subject of statutory pre-application consultation (PAC): No ______
(M) Has a sustainability check list been submitted: No ______
(N) Does the Council have an interest in the site: No ______
(O) Requirement for a hearing (PAN41 or other): No ______
(P) Assessment and summary of determining issues and material considerations
The proposal seeks permission for the erection of five affordable dwellinghouses and a multi-purpose building within the confines of the lower Acharossan Forest in Tighnabruaich. The site is in the ownership of the Kilfinan Community Forest Company (KCFC) who are a registered charity committed to the delivery of a variety of benefits to the Kilfinan community, including (in addition to the affordable housing) the development of recreational facilities and further employment opportunities.
One of the aims of the KCFC is the provision of a forest croft project within Potential Development Area 2/101. The affordable housing and multi-purpose building are the first phase of an overall development which is envisaged to include further affordable housing, forest crofts and associated croft houses and amenities such as a bothy, camp site and outdoor events area.
It is considered that the information submitted within the masterplan demonstrates how the allocated site could be developed in the future in a satisfactory manner and that the current application would not interfere negatively with the overall vision for the site. On the assumption that Members approve the masterplan, it should be regarded as a material consideration in the determination of this first phase of development.
All other issues such as environmental impact; scale, design and layout; road network and parking; water supply; and foul drainage have either been satisfactorily addressed or can be resolved through the imposition of suitably-worded conditions. ______
(Q) Is the proposal consistent with the Development Plan: Yes ______
(R) Reasons why planning permission or a Planning Permission in Principle should be granted
The proposal accords with policies LDP DM1, LDP 3, LDP 9, LDP 11 and Supplementary Guidance SG LDP ENV 6, SG LDP ENV 13, SG LDP ENV 20, SG LDP HOU 1, SG LDP COM 2, SG LDP SERV 1, SG LDP SERV 6, SG LDP TRAN 4 and SG LDP TRAN 6 of the Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan 2015 and the proposal raises no other material consideration which would justify refusal of permission. ______
(S) Reasoned justification for a departure to the provisions of the Development Plan
Not applicable. ______
(T) Need for notification to Scottish Ministers or Historic Scotland: No ______
Author of Report: Steven Gove Date: 17 th June 2015
Reviewing Officer: Richard Kerr Date: 18 th June 2015
Angus Gilmour Head of Planning & Regulatory Services
CONDITIONS AND REASONS RELATIVE TO APPLICATION REF. NO. 15/00432/PP
1. The development shall be implemented in accordance with the approved drawings – Location Plan (scale 1:1250); Site Plan (Scale 1:500); Drawing No. L201; Drawing No. L202; Drawing No. L203; Drawing No. L204; Drawing No. L205; Drawing No. L206; Drawing No. L207; and Drawing No. L208, unless the prior written approval of the Planning Authority is obtained for an amendment to the approved details under Section 64 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.
Reason: For the purpose of clarity, to ensure that the development is implemented in accordance with the approved details.
2. Prior to the commencement of any development in the construction of the dwellinghouses, details of the proposed roof coverings shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. Unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Planning Authority, the roof shall be constructed in accordance with the approved details.
Reason: In the interests of visual amenity in order to assimilate the proposed dwellinghouses into their surroundings and for the avoidance of doubt.
3. Prior to the commencement of any development in the construction of the dwellinghouses, details of the proposed treatment of the external walls and painting of the underbuilding of the dwellinghouses shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. Unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Planning Authority, the external wall and underbuilding of each dwellinghouse shall be treated/painted in accordance with the approved details prior to its occupation.
Reason: In the interests of visual amenity in order to assimilate the proposed dwellinghouses into their surroundings and for the avoidance of doubt.
4. Prior to the commencement of the development (or such other timescale as agreed with the Council as Planning Authority), a scheme of boundary treatment, surface treatment and landscaping shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. The scheme shall comprise a planting plan and schedule which shall include details of the following:
i) Existing and proposed ground levels in relation to an identified fixed datum; ii) Existing landscaping features and vegetation to be retained; iii) Location design and materials of proposed walls, fences and gates; iv) Proposed soft and hard landscaping works including the location, species and size of every tree/shrub to be planted; v) A programme for the timing, method of implementation, completion and subsequent on-going maintenance.
All of the hard and soft landscaping works shall be carried out in accordance with the approved scheme unless otherwise approved in writing by the Planning Authority. Any trees/shrubs which within a period of five years from the completion of the approved landscaping scheme fail to become established, die, become seriously diseased, or are removed or damaged shall be replaced in the following planting season with equivalent numbers, sizes and species as those originally required to be planted unless otherwise approved in writing by the Planning Authority.
Reason: In the interests of visual amenity in order to assimilate the proposed dwellinghouses into their surroundings and for the avoidance of doubt.
5. Prior to the commencement of the development, full details of the improvements required to the surface water drainage system to ensure no debris is deposited onto the public road shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. Unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Planning Authority, the agreed system shall be fully installed and operational prior to the commencement of the development.
Reason: In the interests of road safety.
6. Prior to the commencement of the development, full details of the vehicular turning area to accommodate service and emergency vehicles at the termination point of the access serving the five dwellinghouses shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. Unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Planning Authority, the turning area shall be fully constructed prior to the occupation of the first dwellinghouse.
Reason: In the interests of road safety.
7 Unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Planning Authority, the first 10 metres of the existing access at its junction with the A8003 shall be surfaced in a bituminous material or similar approved hard material prior to the occupation of the first dwellinghouse.
Reason: In the interests of road safety.
8. No development shall take place within the development site as outlined in red on the approved plan until the developer has secured the implementation of a programme of archaeological works in accordance with a written scheme of investigation which has been submitted by the applicant, agreed by the West of Scotland Archaeology Service and approved by the Planning Authority. Thereafter, the developer shall ensure that the programme of archaeological works is fully implemented and that all recording and recovery of archaeological resources within the development site is undertaken to the satisfaction of the Planning Authority in agreement with the West of Scotland Archaeology Service.
Reason: In the interests of protecting the archaeological interest of the site.
9. Prior to any development works commencing, a full appraisal to demonstrate the wholesomeness and sufficiency of the private water supply to serve the development shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. This assessment shall be carried out by a qualified and competent person(s) and shall include a risk assessment having regard to the requirements of Schedule 4 of the Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and shall, on the basis of such risk assessment, specify the means by which a wholesome and sufficient water supply shall be provided and, thereafter, maintained to the development. Such appraisal shall also demonstrate that the wholesomeness and sufficiency of any other supply in the vicinity of the development, or any other person using the same source or supply, shall not be compromised by the proposed development. Furthermore, the development shall be not be brought into use or occupied until the required supply has been installed in accordance with the agreed specification.
Reason: In the interests of public health and safety.
NOTE TO APPLICANT
This planning permission will last only for three years from the date of this decision notice, unless the development has been started within that period. [See section 58(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (as amended).] In order to comply with Section 27A(1) of the Town & Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, prior to works commencing on site it is the responsibility of the developer to complete and submit the attached ‘Notice of Initiation of Development’ to the Planning Authority specifying the date on which the development will start.
In order to comply with Section 27B(1) of the Town & Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 it is the responsibility of the developer to submit the attached ‘Notice of Completion’ to the Planning Authority specifying the date upon which the development was complete.
The attention of the developer is drawn to the contents of the letters from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (dated 14 th May 2015) and the West of Scotland Archaeology Service (dated 20 th May 2015). Copies of these letters are attached to the decision notice.
ANNEX A – RELATIVE TO APPLICATION NUMBER 15/00432/PP
PLANNING LAND USE AND POLICY ASSESSMENT
A Settlement Strategy
The site is identified as a Potential Development Area (ref: 2/101) in the ‘Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan’ (2015) which identifies the land as being suitable for development in association with a forest croft project.
At the Planning, Protective Services and Licensing Committee in November 2011, Members decided to introduce a protocol for dealing with applications proposing the development of part(s) of a Potential Development Area or Housing Allocation. This has resulted in a masterplan being produced by the applicant for the whole of Potential Development Area 2/101, which has been advertised for public consultation purposes. At the time of writing, no representations have been submitted to either the current proposal or the wider Potential Development Area.
In terms of Potential Development Areas 2/101, it is considered that the submitted masterplan demonstrates how the allocated site could be developed in the future in a satisfactory manner and that the current application for the affordable housing and multi- purpose building would not interfere negatively with the overall vision for the site.
In view of the foregoing, the proposal is considered to be in accordance with policy LDP DM 1 of the Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan 2015.
B Location, Nature and Design of Proposed Development
The application site comprises 1.1 hectares and is located on the lower slopes of the Acharossan Forest in Tighnabruaich. It is part of the Kilfinan Community Forest Company’s operations and the site for the dwellinghouses is a section of cleared woodland. There is an existing forestry access which leads from the public road in Tighnabruaich and up into the hillside. The multi-purpose building would be directly adjacent to the access whilst the proposed dwellinghouses would be served from a spur that would come off it.
There are two principal elements of built development, as follows:
Multi-Purpose Building
The multi-purpose building would be located directly adjacent to the access road, between an existing polytunnel and forestry building. The applicant has explained the reasons behind this part of the proposal:
“As the KCFC project has progressed, demand has come about for the company to provide venues and resources for land-based skills training; everything from chainsaw courses to wood-carving masterclasses. At the current time, KCFC facilities are limited to an end of life portacabin (used as an office) and a ‘compost shed’. Upgrading and/or re-purposing of these buildings will enable KCFC to greatly expand the training opportunities it can offer, resulting in another valuable community asset.
It has been determined that the most cost effective route to achieving this in the short term is to re-purpose the compost shed to an indoor training facility and workshop space with the new building doubling as a classroom and office space for staff. The new building would be an adaptation of the two-bedroom house to keep design and build costs to a minimum. This would result in the removal of the existing portacabin, thus enhancing the overall aesthetic of the lower site ”.
There is a clear benefit associated with the multi-purpose building in that it will provide valuable office and meeting space which would allow the removal of the more temporary-looking portacabin structure. The location of the building is very much within the core of existing structures and, therefore, its visual impact over longer distance views would be minimal.
The design of the building is very basic but, in terms of the use of timber from the forest and the method of construction, it is in the ethos of the project. The applicant has agreed to the use of a green mineral felt as the roof covering and there could be a mineral dye to be used on the larch cladding, both of which would soften the appearance of the building.
Affordable Housing
The principal element of the proposal relates to the provision of five affordable housing units. These will consist of one 2 bedroom, two 3 bedroom and two 4 bedroom units which will have a larch horizontal external cladding; a rendered blockwork dwarf wall; grey aluminium fenestration; and a green mineral felt roof covering.
The application site was previously woodland but, over the last few years, it has been clear felled as part of the operations of the KCFC. It is relatively flat and is served by a spur from an existing forestry access. In terms of the potential for developing dwellinghouses, the site represents a logical area of land that would be capable of accommodating the scale of development that has been put forward.
There are some issues that have been raised during the processing of the application, and these are as follows:
Roof
The application shows a curved roof with a black-coloured synthetic rubber material. In the interests of softening the visual impact of this roof covering, the applicant was asked to consider a turf or sedum roof. In response, Robert Borruso has stated the following (e- mail dated 1 st June 2015):
“To support flora and fauna that is similar to what is found on the rest of the site, a 'thick' i.e. >200mm of peat based substrate would need to be installed. This would massively increase the weight of the roof necessitating either the extensive use of steel work in the roof structure, in order to maintain the open plan nature of the homes. Or increase the number of internal walls and make them load bearing causing the loss of much of the design's flexibility from an ease of alteration point of view.
The complexities involved in constructing a turf roof would have meant buying in a large amount of materials ostensibly to replace those produced on-site. This would run contrary to the ethos of the project i.e. to demonstrate the use of locally grown materials (timber), processed on-site to support jobs in a rural community.
A change of roof covering from black EPDM to a high quality green mineral felt would soften the visual impact of the roof(s) i.e. satin black to matt green. Furthermore, if a course grade of mineral capping were used this would in time (due to the climate) support a reasonable selection of bryophytes and lichens, which would give the roof a soft green mottled appearance .”
As regards a sedum roof, Mr Borruso has stated the following (e-mail dated 15 th June 2015): “While not increasing the roof loading as much as a full turf roof, a sedum matt roof would still require the greater use of bought in materials and expertise. This runs contrary to the ethos of KCFC's development aspirations which are centred on maximising the use of local materials and labour to help boost the local economy.
Though sedum is a natural material what is underneath is most definitey not. A standard sedum roof build-up would require 3 to 4 times more layers of non- renewable materials i.e. polymer sheeting metal barriers etc. to support the 'natural' top layer in other words significantly more resource consumption than is currently proposed. It was the opinion of KCFC these issues outweigh benefits of a sedum roof i.e. storm run-off control and habitat provision (sedum is not found locally in any case) both of which are more than adequately provided for elsewhere in the development.
Furthermore, locally attempts have been made to establish sedum roofs and have met with little success. Prolonged wet periods and low temperatures mean it does not thrive and, therefore, is not able to withstand the attentions of the local bird population who took to ripping up sections. So, while initially there would be some aesthetic benefit, without constant maintenance this would be lost fairly quickly .”
Given the technical issues associated with the provision of a turf or sedum roof, it is considered reasonable to allow a green-coloured mineral felt which would it is accepted, over time, develop a more natural appearance. A condition is recommended which will allow the details of the covering to be finalised prior to occupation of the units.
External Wall Colouring
The application shows the use of an untreated horizontal larch cladding and it has been put to the applicant that a more recessive colour could be used to soften the visual impact. His response has been as follows:
“The intention is to use untreated Larch cladding from trees that were grown and processed on site. Correctly detailed, this material should not require any maintenance for at least 25 years. “Scottish” Larch cladding starts a pink/orange colour and quickly fades to a light grey. In order to 'change' this colour, it would need to be coated in some way. This would add an unnecessary maintenance burden and if the home owners did not 'repaint' all at the same time as is likely, the scheme would soon start to look ‘scruffy’. Furthermore, correctly detailed cladding has very little thermal inertia, therefore dark colours would be subject to wide variations in temperature (especially on SW to SE walls). This, combined with the damp Argyll climate, would cause unnecessary expansion and contraction shortening the life of any coating and ultimately the cladding itself. The use of any material other than cladding 'from the forest' would result in losing one of the most sustainable materials that could possibly be used.
In order to mitigate the 'bright' look of new cladding, a mineral wash could be applied. Using an ochre or umber pigment would provide a neutral softening of the cladding that would not be deleterious to its longevity. Also, such minerals are totally colour fast and would not require re-treatment. Also, the gaps between could be widened increasing the shadow lines giving from a distance at least an overall darker look.
The underbuilding however being concrete/blockwork would not suffer from these issues and could conceivably be any colour . “
As evinced by the applicant, there are good reasons for not wanting to apply a coating of paint to the dwellinghouses. However, there is a recognition that some form of coating could be applied that would reduce the initial starkness of untreated larch cladding. A condition is recommended which will allow the details of the coating to be finalised prior to occupation of the units.
Fenestration
The design of the proposed dwellinghouses is relatively basic and the proposed windows are square in appearance. It has been put to the applicant that the proportions of the fenestration could be of a greater vertical emphasis and agreement has been reached with the agent that windows with a more vertical emphasis will be incorporated into the design.
Structured Landscaping
As mentioned above, the site for the affordable dwellinghouses is presently part of a cleared hillside. In order to assimilate the proposal into the elevated ground, it will be necessary for some structured landscaping to be introduced around the site. The agent has commented as follows:
“Tree planting and dead hedging has already taken place and the intention is certainly to plant many more trees and 'green' the hedging. However, the speed at which this can take place is dictated by deer management issues, with anything below 1.5m being grazed to destruction at the moment. We have recently set up a nursery to grow trees on to a size where they are immune to deer pressure. Unfortunately this process cannot be hurried but is certainly envisaged trees would be available for transplantation within 4 years. The aim is initially to avoid 'trees in tubes' as experience on the rest of the site has shown that this is futile. The accompanying maps show the areas where this has/will take place. More generally it is very much the goal aim of Kilfinan Community Forest Company (KCFC) to reforest to the highest amenity value possible as much on the site as possible.”
There is a clear commitment from the KCFC to provide a wooded environment within which the dwellinghouses would sit. Some planting has already occurred to the north of the site and ‘ dead hedging ’ (barriers constructed from cut branches, saplings, and foliage) will also be provided around the boundaries of each of the plots. Planting will be carried out to the south of the site to repair wind blow whilst there will be a significant area of riparian replanting and regeneration to the west of the site.
Whilst some of the areas for landscaping are outwith the boundaries of the current application site, a suitably-worded condition can be attached regarding landscaping as these additional areas are all under the control of the KCFC.
Relationship with Community Forest Croft Project
As mentioned elsewhere in this report, the five dwellinghouses that are the subject of this report are part of a wider community forest croft project. A forest croft itself is a registered croft with sufficient tree cover overall to be considered a woodland under national forestry policy. It can provide access to woodland to manage in support of a person’s lifestyle and livelihood. It is also an opportunity for individuals and communities to contribute to their needs from the woodland resource and the approach to management taken by woodland crofters is expected to deliver increase social, economic and environmental benefits.
At Tighnabruaich, the forest crofts are likely to involve the setting aside of up to three tracts of woodland as crofts. The applicant has explained the following in terms of establishing a direct relationship between the affordable housing and the forest crofts (e- mail dated 15 th June 2105):
“Woodland crofts have been a major aspiration of KCFC ever since its inception. From a strategic standpoint, considering everything the KCF project was set up to do, it is inconceivable that KCFC would not deliver them. Indeed, KCFC is ready to start inviting applicants to come forward with croft plans as soon as the Masterplan is approved.
As the project has developed it has become apparent that the creation of successful woodland crofts on the land KCFC has, will require much more than simply drawing lines on a map and signing the relevant crofting commission forms. It is well recognised that crofting is a “full-time job with part-time wages” and that is for maintaining a well-established croft. Establishing a new 'woodland' croft really is uncharted territory and, as such, has significant new challenges and opportunities that KCF is keen to trail-blaze. The challenges are clear - weather, ground conditions and, of course, financial. While KCFC can do little about the first two, financial assistance both directly and indirectly can be offered.
In the first instance, there is direct financial support. Under normal circumstances to take on a croft, a potential new crofter would be expected to pay an initial “in-go” fee and annual rent. Of course, if these are high that will discourage applicants and take money away from rapid croft establishment. The sound financial base a housing project will give KCFC will enable these charges to crofters to be kept as low as possible. That said, this is not the most significant support KCFC will be enabled to offer as a result of Masterplan approval.
There are many costs associated with establishing a croft: machinery hire (or purchase), building construction, access to services etc. All of which, if building elsewhere on site, KCFC will be in a much better position to provide assistance with.
Then there are the less tangible benefits KCFC can offer: for example, there is a plan to build a serviced bothy which could support crofting in two ways. Potentially, providing a modest flexible part time income but, perhaps more importantly, should the crofters wish to run 'volunteer weekends' or more likely have long term volunteers working in the forest, it would provide comfortable accommodation that would encourage such volunteers to stay.
Finally KCFC's intention has always been to set up a vibrant community, based in the forest, integrated into and benefiting the local area and the truth is that a few isolated crofter's struggling on marginal land simply wouldn't provide this .”
Given the above comments, it is considered that there is a clear and demonstrable linkage between the five affordable dwellinghouses and the provision of the forest croft project, which is the lynchpin of the Potential Development Area.
Summary
The current application represents a small-scale development of five dwellinghouses located on a relatively flat area of land within the ownership of the KCFC. The appearance, materials and method of construction represent a simple and sustainable form of development in association with the overall ethos of the company. The development itself will be most visible from longer distance views in terms of the impact upon the Area of Panoramic Quality but, due to the layout, scale, design and landscaping, it is considered that the proposal would not have a detrimental effect. Suitably-worded conditions will ensure that, in the fullness of the time, the development assimilates into the hillside.
In view of the foregoing, the proposal is considered to be in accordance with policies LDP 3 and LDP 9 and Supplementary Guidance SG LDP ENV 6, SG LDP ENV 13, SG LDP HOU 1, SG LDP COM 2 and Sustainable Siting and Design Principles of the Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan 2015.
C Affordable Housing
As part of the principles of the KCFC, the proposed dwellinghouses are to be provided as ‘ affordable ’. This is a laudable objective but, for clarification purposes, the identification of affordable housing is voluntary and is not being led by the ‘Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan’, as it advises that affordable housing is not a necessity within new residential developments in the Cowal area for the next two years.
In view of the foregoing, the proposal does not conflict with the ‘ delivery of affordable housing ’ section contained in the Supplementary Guidance of the ‘Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan’ 2015.
D Road Network and Parking
The supplementary guidance contained within SG LDP TRAN 4 of the ‘Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan’ 2015 allows residential development to be served from a private access providing it is of a sufficiently acceptable standard. In this particular case, the site is served by an existing private access that was constructed as a forestry road. The gradient of the existing access is at the maximum and the junction onto the public road network (the A8003) has good visibility sightlines.
In his consultation response, the Area Roads Manager has no objections to the proposal subject to ensuring adequate visibility splays, improvement to surface water drainage, details of the vehicular turning area and the surfacing of the first ten metres back from the edge of the public road.
All of the above can be the subject of conditions; however, the visibility splays are already the subject of a condition relative to the original permission for the access (ref: 10/00452/PP) and, therefore, there is no requirement for a new condition.
In terms of parking arrangements, the Area Roads Manager has advised that the proposed two parking spaces for each dwellinghouse are considered to be acceptable.
In view of the foregoing, the proposal is considered to be in accordance with policy LDP 11 and Supplementary Guidance SG LDP TRAN 4 and SG LDP TRAN 6 of the Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan 2015.
E Infrastructure
SG LDP SERV 1 of the ‘Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan’ 2015 seeks connection to the public sewer unless specific circumstances dictate otherwise. In this particular case, there is no existing public sewerage system covering the application site. The proposal, therefore, involves the provision of private sewage treatment plants and, given the practical and financial difficulties that would be involved in connecting to the public sewer and the fact that Tighnabruaich has a population of less than 2000, it is considered appropriate to allow a private system.
Supplementary Guidance SG LDP SERV 6 of the Local Development Plan supports in principle the use of private water supplies in cases where the public system is not available (such as the current scenario). However, there should be adequate quantity and quality and no other private supplies should be adversely affected. In this case, there is no reason to believe that the private supply which is to be used has any issues associated with it; however, a condition requiring a hydrological assessment to be carried out is recommended.
In view of the foregoing, the proposal is considered to be in accordance with Supplementary Guidance SG LDP SERV 1 and SG LDP SERV 6 of the Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan 2015.
E Flood Risk
SEPA has stated that, as the site is outwith the indicative flood envelope and they hold no additional information to indicate that the site is at flood risk, they have no objections to the proposal.
In view of the foregoing, the proposal is considered to be in accordance with Supplementary Guidance SG LDP SERV 7 of the Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan 2015.
F Archaeology
The West of Scotland Archaeology Service (WoSAS) has stated that current aerial photographs suggest that a number of elements proposed under this application may already be in place, including the access road running past the existing polytunnel to the allotments. This would suggest that a certain amount of the ground disturbance associated with the proposal has already taken place. The plots themselves would also appear to be located in an area that is under current tree cover, although it is possible that this has already been felled (it has). Nevertheless, the proposed development appears to be located in ground that has not been subject to previous archaeological survey, located as it is slightly to the west of the area that was assessed as part of the walkover conducted in advance of construction of the micro hydro scheme.
WoSAS continue that, as the area as a whole has never been subject to detailed archaeological survey, there is the potential that previously unrecorded sites may be present, either in the form of upstanding but unreported features or in the form of buried sub-surface deposits. It is, therefore, advised that a programme of archaeological work is likely to be necessary in relation to this application, should permission be granted. Based upon this recommendation, a suitably-worded condition will be attached.
In view of the foregoing, the proposal is considered to be in accordance with Supplementary Guidance SG LDP ENV 20 of the Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan 2015.