Week 29

No 20mph for Ferness or Kingsteps, car park closures, the IMFLDP, and more batteries

20mph not for Kingsteps or Ferness

I’ve spoken here before about the proposal to bring in blanket 20mph speed limits in communities across the Highland Council area including Nairn (with the possible exception of the A96), Cawdor, Auldearn, Fornighty, Clunas, and Ferness.

I’ve now been told that areas which were on the long list which are currently 40mph, which included Ferness and also Kingsteps, are no longer being considered in this round so reducing the speed limits there will be battles for another day.

Nairn town centre car parks closed

I’m afraid I only got news of this myself this week but the “Library” car park (the one accessed from the traffic lights) will be closed from 6pm tomorrow, 28th November until 6pm on Wednesday, 30th November.

The “Central” car park (the part opposite the CoOp) will then be closed from 6pm on Wednesday, 30th until 6pm on Friday, 2nd December.

This is for new white lining work. I’m at something of a loss to know why it’s going to take two days to do this on each part.

Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan

Last Tuesday’s The Inverness Courier, Nairnshire Edition covered the decision of your ward councillors to back the Plan, with the changes that I’ve previously discussed here over many weeks. You can read the article online here if you’ve not read it already.

The quotes from the CEO of Springfield Properties where he bemoans the obstacles we have put in his way make interesting reading and I’d particularly highlight this one:

We have been working hard on a proposed masterplan for Nairn East, with the firm belief that the area needs high-quality, energy-efficient new homes, across multiple tenures, so we are deeply disappointed and frustrated with the decision to make delivery wholly dependent on the A96 Nairn Bypass.

While I’m talking about our local paper I should note that Donald Wilson, who is the Nairnshire reporter for the Courier and also for The Nairnshire Telegraph before that is retiring in December. I’m sure we will all miss his reporting.

Grigorhill businesses

Cllr Jarvie and I met with representatives of the businesses on Grigorhill Industrial Estate on Granny Barbour Road this week to discuss how they can best move forward within the extra scope they now have with the changes we had made to the Plan with them in mind.

Yet more battery storage

I’ve previous written here about a proposal for a battery energy storage facility at Househill and now we’ve got yet another one being proposed, this time at Blackpark Farm which is more or less opposite the Grigorhill Industrial Estate.

They have a web site where you can find out more.

No doubt this will be coming to a future planning committee meeting.