Serious Christmas reading material for students of local planning matters...

The APT blog points out that the "The Highland Council has received the Report of Examination for the Highland wide Local Development Plan from the Scottish Government’s Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals."

It's 610 pages long, this observer has had a wee browse and thinks that Nairn objectors to many aspects of the plan will not be very pleased at all with the report. Time and the economy over the next few decades will have the final say but it looks as though major expansion of Nairn will go ahead if willing developers can be found. We were consulted, now others have taken our views into account and have decided. There will be some changes however, all recommendations in the report are binding on the Council it seems.

One crucial argument, that there should be a bypass before there is any more development, seems to have failed to make an impact. Here's three points lifted from page 607 of the report:

"15. It thus appears to be generally accepted that there should be a Nairn by-pass. I note that paragraph 14.3 of the proposed plan says that the Council will continue to lobby for the by-pass. I find that this is as much as may reasonably be expected in the plan in relation to securing the bypass.

16. Regarding lack of road capacity, present levels of congestion, noise and pollution may well be, at the least, unpleasant for residents and visitors, but evidence does not demonstrate that they are of such magnitude as to justify a prohibition on new development.

17. Regarding safety, evidence does not show that accident rates in Nairn are especially high in relation to rates in other towns of similar character."

Plenty more where that came from, anyone with the time for a deeper look into matters from this report might want to try the following pages (they give the council's summary, the objections and the Reporters' recommendations): The Document is here

Lochloy p85, Sandown p88, Delnies p94, Nairn South p107 - A section on Nairn in general commences at p610. Printers and Christmas wrapping paper ready?

Anyone wishing to have a wee gurn might want to comment over at the APT blog perhaps?