Garioch Area Committee met over the last two days to consider the “issues and actions” papers and give our view to Infrastructure Services on the responses to the Main Issues Report of the Local Development Plan (LDP).
The LDP is a statutory document which regulates land use planning matters across Aberdeenshire. It is produced every 5 years. The Main Issues Report was publicly consulted on some months ago.
I am highlighting some of the recommendations we made over the last day and a half in the chambers.
Main issue 4 – Rural Development
Planners recommended the minimum size of a cohesive group be increased to 10 houses, reduce the scale of the addition to up to only houses within the plan period and exclude settlements identified in the LDP plan for consideration as “cohesive groups”. I was happy to support this increase and would prefer to see housing need being met in the main settlements, but most of the committee wanted to see it increased to only 5. We also recommended the area of search around settlements to be decreased to 200m.
Issue 5 – Wind Energy
We heard at the meeting, interestingly, something that many people already believe, that research done recently by the James Hutton Institute has shown that wind turbine applications have not been driven by the desire to provide renewable energy but by the financial benefits gained from subsidies.
We had to note that Scottish Planning Policy is in flux and likely to undergo further change. These changes will not be known until late June 2014, so we had to make our recommendations in the meantime subject to anything the Scottish Government may throw up then. Amongst our recommendations agreed were to always measure the height of wind turbine in new applications to hub height with a second measurement to tip of blade being identified in documents. We also asked for a decommissioning bond to be required for the end of life.
Main issue 12 – Land supply and distribution
There is a legal requirement for consistency between the LDP and the Strategic Development Plan (SDP), the latter having now been approved by the Scottish Government. The SDP Examination Report has clearly concluded that the SDP housing allowances are appropriately generous and that the scale of distribution of growth provided through the allowances are appropriate and sufficient to meet needs over the plan period. Subject to discussions, some of which are detailed below, it was agreed that the MIR’s preferred approach to land supply be adopted and that no new allocations be made within the 2016 LDP.
Main issue 7 – Housing for People on Modest Incomes and Policy 6 – Affordable Housing
Some respondents felt it inappropriate for the planning system to dictate the mix of types and sizes of private housing. I disagree. Indeed, the SDP provides support for such an approach. Residents in communities across Aberdeenshire are in much need of smaller, more manageable properties to downsize into and of course households are generally getting smaller in size. Of course developers often respond by saying that building smaller homes makes a development unviable. We as councillors are not party to their sums.
We were asked to introduce a threshold into policy SG Affordable Housing 1 so that future affordable housing contributions will be sought from sites of 4 dwellings or more (just now it is 10). There was significant support for utilising the 25% national benchmark as the basis for affordable housing provision. This represents a change from the 2012 LDP which requires higher affordable housing contributions in some settlements – at the moment Westhill is 40%. The figures currently utilised are based on the Housing Needs Assessment and Westhill has been shown to be in need of 40% affordable housing. I liked the radical idea of some of the planning policy officers that we should ask the developer for a percentage of land rather than a percentage of houses. That way, we could have more control about the quality/design of buildings and it also would support Registered Social Landlords to provide more units.
Of course the Scottish Government is “bigging up” its provision of affordable housing but not providing the funding required.
Main Issue 11 – Valued Views and Locally Valued Landscapes
There have been concerns from local residents over protecting views with relation to wind turbine applications. There is a majority support for the development of a Local Landscape Designation to replace the current “Valued Views” guidance. We have been assured that there will be community consultation (through the Community Planning process involving community councils) as part of this policy-making process and it will be complete within a year (in plenty time for the new LDP being adopted).
Cluny & Sauchen
We recommended that the existing EH1 allocation for 8 houses should be retained in the LDP (planning permission already granted). The existing H1 allocation should be extended southwards in order to provide sufficient land to accommodate 50 dwellings in total. As no further specific housing needs have been identified within the settlement in Cluny and Sauchen at this stage, no further bids were recommended.
Dunecht
The existing EH1 allocation should be retained within the LDP and again we agreed the recommendation that no further bids be included for the above reason. Echt – same deal. Lyne of Skene – no further bids included. Millbank – with the exception of retaining M1 allocation, no further bids.
Kirkton of Skene
No bids recommended for inclusion as no further housing need identified at this time. I was pleased to recommend that in accordance with the wishes of local residents, Kirkton of Skene will not coalesce with Westhill and that this be documented as a distinct settlement objective in the new LDP.
Main issue 16 – Is further development opportunity required in Westhill?
The report said “there appears to be a significant level of support for the principle of releasing additional development land to support the internationally important subsea cluster within Westhill. Westhill is a successful town and it is therefore not surprising that the development industry wishes to see further growth and development of the settlement. However this must be balanced against the current infrastructure capacity issues affecting the settlement.
“However it is maintained that the disadvantages of additional development in Westhill on congestion in the area are likely to be outweighed by the local need to maintain the economic success of Westhill as a centre of subsea excellence”.
I feel, like many other residents, that there is little connection between the business community and the heart of Westhill – the residents. We need better physical connectivity with paths and roads leading from the business side to the town centre. We need to ensure that the road infrastructure comes with any new development. The new road improvements at the six mile fork underway at the moment will help but as yet, are untested, with just under 200 houses permitted to be built and occupied and many office sheds still to be constructed and let without this expansion across the other side of the B9119.
Garioch Landward sites
No other bids were recommended for inclusion including the Garlogie Ga033 bid. The Upper Sauchen Ga020 bid for 3 houses was not recommended. It was agreed that any new development would be best located in nearby villages such as Cluny or Sauchen and that there is not considered to be a requirement to allocate additional land at this time.
Our area recommendations go forward to the Infrastructure Services Committee on 3rd July then on to full council probably in November. Unforeseen delays by the Scottish Government have resulted in a delay of the revised Scottish Planning Policy so there may be need for further consultation on changes that the new SPP may require.