A must read letter - Nairnshire Partnership not working?

NICE have submitted a five page letter (plus four annex pages) to the Highland Council ahead of the Ward Forum meeting next Wednesday (26^th 7.00p.m. at the Courthouse). NICE are not only setting out their stall but stating what the Community should expect from their Council. This letter is a ‘must read’ for all serious students of Town Centre Planning affairs. The meeting will be a ‘must attend’ too for all those who were appalled at the Council’s ‘Plan B’ design for the Town Centre. Wednesday night will demonstrate how far the Highland Council have moved to accommodate the wishes of the people of Nairn.

Here’s a couple of extracts from the annex pages which highlights one of the perceived failings in a part of the apparatus set up by the Council in response to Scottish Government guidance – that is ‘The Nairnshire Partnership'

The first is NICE’s own view

‘It is of course true that the Nairn(shire) Partnership exists as a collective formal group. Evidence exists that it has ceased to offer a genuine forum for the development of a shared vision, but serves primarily a vehicle for the local authorities to make announcements and deliver vision. The emergence of other groups – of which NICE is only the most recent – is a clear sign that the Nairnshire Partnership is not fulfilling the role envisaged in the official guidance.

And here’s information from Planning in Small Towns (PAN 52), a guidance document from the Scottish Government which NICE quote in the document they have sent to the Council.

“The regeneration of town centres will not, however, happen by chance; it requires a shared vision, positive planning policies and carefully targeted investment in new development, redevelopment, refurbishment and environmental improvement, including the management of traffic.”

“Many [Scottish] towns have experienced or are undergoing significant change; but this needs to be handled with care if their inherent qualities, which makes them distinctive, are not to be eroded. Retaining these qualities, building on them and attempting to restore the traditional vitality of small towns are therefore key tasks which cannot be undertaken by planning authorities acting alone or working with an agency; the involvement of local community and business organisations is essential in understanding the town, considering the scope for change and setting out a co-ordinated programme of action. Vision, imagination and urban design skills are also essential ingredients if small towns are to respond to rising expectations and the demands of the modern economy while safeguarding their built heritage.”

There’s a lot more to read in the NICE letter. Forget the Sunday supplements, get right up to date with Town Centre affairs by reading the letter. The Highland Council planners might be drawing up the future for us but it is Nairn residents that will have to live with it not them – let’s make sure we get something we all want!