Committees

A meeting of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, on Wednesday, 8 January 2014, at 10.30am.

Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Yours faithfully,

Michelle Morris
Depute Chief Executive

1. Apologies for Absence
Liesgeulan

2. Declarations of Interest
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting.   Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest.   Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.

3. Revenue Budget Monitoring Statement to 30 November 2013
Aithris Sgrùdaidh Buidseat Teachd-a-steach gu 30 Samhain 2013

There is circulated Report No. PED-1-14 (109kb pdf) dated 10 December 2013 by the Director of Planning and Development providing information on the revenue monitoring position for the Planning and Development Service for the period to the end of November 2013 and the projected year end position. 

The Committee is asked to:

i. consider and approve the Planning and Development Service monitoring report to 30 2013;
   and
ii. agree the management action which has been taken to date.

4. Capital Expenditure Monitoring to 30 November 2013
Sgrùdadh Caiteachais Calpa gu 30 Samhain 2013

There is circulated Report No. PED-2-14 (314kb pdf) dated 10 December 2013 by the Director of Planning and Development outlining the expenditure and income to 30 November 2013 and for the 2013/14 capital programme.  The report also provides an update on the Vacant and Derelict Land Fund (VDLF) programme.

The Committee is asked to:

i.  note the content of the report; and
ii. agree the recommendation at paragraph 1.4 of the report, for the allocation
   of £30,000 from the Town and Countryside Regeneration: Caithness and
   Sutherland budget to the works at Helmsdale.

5. Population Change in Highland 2001 - 2011
Atharrachadh Sluaigh sa Ghàidhealtachd 2001 – 2011

There is circulated Report No. PED-3-14 (466kb pdf) dated 16 December 2013 by the Director of Planning and Development looking at the early results from the 2011 Census, giving local information on the number and ages of people living within Highland.  It compares these figures with those from 2001 to show that the Highland population has “aged”, and that a large number of people are close to retirement age.  Highland’s population has grown by 11.1% with an increase in 18 out of 22 Wards, and at a local level in 196 out of 292 data zones.  Local population growth is strongly linked to the building of new homes.

The Committee is asked to note that the last decade has seen population growth throughout Highland, and also:

i.  that the Census results confirm that our population is ageing and that we
   are about to see a significant increase in the number of retired people; and
ii. the strong links between economic growth, new house building and
   population growth.

6. Response to Scottish Planning Policy: Sustainability & Planning Consultation and SNH Core Areas of Wild Land Consultation
Freagairt a thaobh Poileasaidh Dealbhaidh na h-Alba: Co-chomhairle Seasmhachd & Dealbhaidh agus Prìomh Cheàrnaidhean SNH airson Co-chomhairle air Fearann Fiadhaich

There is circulated Report No. PED-4-14 (275kb pdf) dated 10 December 2013 by the Director of Planning and Development informing the Committee of the Council’s response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on Draft Scottish Planning Policy: ‘Sustainability and Planning’, and the proposed Council response to the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) consultation on Core Areas of Wild Land.

The Council has previously provided responses to the National Planning Framework 3 – Main Issues Report and draft Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) consultations.  These were homologated at this Committee on 14 August 2013.

The Scottish Government ‘Sustainability and Planning’ consultation is focused on the inclusion of a presumption in favour of development that contributes to sustainable development.  This is a small but important change in approach compared to the contents of the draft SPP and it responds positively to the response of The Highland Council and other organisations.  There are some outstanding concerns which were raised through the Council’s response to the consultation, which closed on 16 December 2013; no extension to the consultation period was available.

The SNH consultation follows on from consultations on the National Planning Framework 3 – Main Issues Report and draft SPP, but does not move the wild land issue much further on, consulting on the same Core Areas of Wild Land (CAWLs).  There still needs to be full consideration by Scottish Government and Scottish Natural Heritage of comments already submitted on the draft SPP and National Planning Framework 3 consultation.  These comments have not been reiterated within this response but are referred to as still being applicable.  However, further comments are proposed in relation to new information provided on the methodology and on SNH’s defence of the extents of the CAWLs, which include areas of lower wildness scores.  The consultation closes on 20 December 2013; however, the Council has been granted an extension to the consultation period to allow for the Committee’s consideration.

The Committee is asked to:

i.  homologate the response to draft Scottish Planning Policy: ‘Sustainability
   and Planning’, as contained in Appendix A to the report; and
ii. approve the response to the SNH Core Areas of Wild Land Consultation, as
   contained in Appendix B to the report.

7. Highland Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) Policy / Highland Council INNS Policy / Japanese Knotweed Risk Assessment
Poileasaidh Ghnèithean Ionnsaigheach Neo-Dhùthchail na Gàidhealtachd (GING) / Poileasaidh GING Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd / Measadh Cunnairt a thaobh Glùineach Sheapanach

There is circulated Report No. PED-5-14 (459kb pdf) dated 9 December 2013 by the Director of Planning and Development presenting 3 papers for approval: the revised Highland Invasive Non-native Species Strategy 2013-16; Highland Council’s Invasive Non-native Species policy; and a proposed risk assessment for Japanese Knotweed.  The paper also highlights key issues associated with the proposed policies and risk assessment.

The Committee is asked to:

i.   approve and adopt the revised Highland Invasive Non-native Species
    Strategy 2013-16;
ii.  approve and adopt the Highland Council’s Invasive Non-native Species policy
    and the recommendations within it; and
iii. agree to support the priority assessment of sites where Japanese Knotweed
    is present on Council owned land or on neighbouring ground where
    Japanese Knotweed makes up less than 10% of the Japanese Knotweed patch.

8. Highland Economic Forum – Minutes of Meeting of 12 June 2013
Fòram Eaconamach na Gàidhealtachd – Geàrr-chunntas Coinneamh 12 Ògmhios 2013

There are circulated for noting the minutes of the Highland Economic Forum held on 12 June 2013 (703kb pdf).

9. Minutes
Geàrr-chunntas

There are circulated separately in Booklet A for noting Minutes of the Planning Applications Committees (PAC) for:

i. North PAC 22 October 2013
ii. South PAC 29 October 2013