520 houses at South Nairn - Highland Council response to screening application doesn't look encouraging for the developer

The South Nairn latest information (from October) seems to have passed a lot of folk by so here is what is to be found on the Highland Council website.

A Highland Council response to the screening application reads:

"Screening Opinion It is considered that Environmental Impact Assessment IS required for the development described in the letter and information accompanying your screening request."

 The document goes on to say: " The rationale behind this screening opinion is as follows: 

 1. The proposal does not constitute Schedule 1 development under the 2017 Regulations; but 2. The proposal does fall within the definition of 'Schedule 

2 development' (Regulation 2 - Interpretation), in that the proposal is an urban development project (Schedule 2 (10)(b) where the area of the site exceeds 0.5ha) and, having screened it against the selection criteria outlined in Schedule 3 (including size and design of the development, cumulative impact, pollution, risk of major accidents, impact on natural resources/the natural environment and environmental quality), the potential impact on the receiving environment is considered to be significant"

Potential Significant Effects on the Receiving Environment

 • Other Characteristics: traffic impacts (during construction and operation of the development), by virtue of the scale of the development, its location and its cumulative impact in association with other built development in the locality, notably on the local road network at the railway line underpass on the B9090 linking with A96 and the town centre. Whilst a pedestrian / cycle rail line overbridge is proposed to link with Nairn Academy Secondary School, this is unlikely to serve the needs of primary school aged children with the site falling within the Millbank Primacy School catchment. The proposed bridge would also not be on the desire line for waking or cycling to and from the town centre, with the development likely to result in increased footfall through the underpass which serves adjacent industrial land uses. Deficiencies in the transport network are also highlighted in the site’s allocation (IN8: Nairn South) within the adopted Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan;

 • Pollution: noise and air quality impacts (during occupation of the development) associated with established and allocated industrial land uses, notably the adjacent sawmill; and 

• Other: TBC through EIA Scoping

 Next Steps: Scoping Opinion You are required to prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA Report) and submit this alongside any future planning application. We are unable to approve a planning application for EIA development where an EIA Report has not been submitted.

 Guidance on what should be included within an EIAR can be found in Schedule 4 of the 2017 Regulations and will be informed through any requested EIA Scoping Response."

 The full document can be seen on the Highland Council e-planning pages here:  

 

The Railway Bridge - still a major factor against any development at South Nairn