Year 3, Week 37
Delnies, Delivery Plan, Moray & Nairn Educational Trust, new pylons, possible changes to community councils, road closures ...
My apologies but this is a long one: council has really started kicking off now.
Delnies
There are some odd rumours going around Nairn so, just for the record, can I remind everyone that at the South Planning Applications Committee (SPAC) meeting in June I opposed giving planning permission for the development of 300 houses at Delnies, as I wrote about at the time. My position has not changed.
There’s also discussion about the fact that the sewage from Delnies is going to go to Nairn sewage treatment works (STW), not Ardersier STW. I’m opposed to that too however the problem I had when trying to stop this is that Scottish Water have told the developer that they can connect to their mains going to Nairn STW with “no limit on connections”.
This is why I didn't bring an amendment to SPAC in August to condition Delnies to send sewage to Ardersier, much as I wanted to. While Scottish Water hold this position I had no planning grounds to do so and attempting to would have just resulting in the developer appealing to the Reporter and winning, at additional cost to council tax payers, for no good purpose.
If any of this isn’t clear or you’re being told that I’m not acting in the best interests of Nairn and the Nairn Common Good Fund in relation to Delnies, or indeed any other matter, then please feel free to contact me.
Council Delivery Plan
The council has a Delivery Plan to deliver savings and investment across Highland over the next three years and there’s a series of videos now online looking at aspects of this.
Here’s the third on Net Zero, energy investment & innovation which talks about the effects of climate change and the council’s work towards Net Zero.
Moray & Nairn Educational Trust
This charitable trust is one of many across the Highlands which provides a variety of grants to young people. It is aimed at those who have lived in the former combined county of Moray and Nairnshire for at least three years, so that includes the young people of our ward. What’s on offer includes travel grants, grants to help a young person stay in further education, grants to organisations towards educational excursions, sports facilities or adult education, and grants to schools towards special equipment.
This trust is administered by Moray Council and you can find details on this web page. The closing date for all applications is 30th September each year.
New Beauly to Aberdeen Pylons
Almost two years ago I first talked about start of the consultation on new 400kV overhead power lines which will run from Beauly to Blackhillock to New Deer to Peterhead and pass through our ward.
SSEN has now published their report on the consultation and their preferred route is shown on the map below:
If you’re struggling to read it - it’s not a great map - the dark red line running from just right of top centre down to the bottom right corner is the A939 Grantown road and the route crosses that just south of Ferness.
Much as I expected this is essentially running the pylons alongside the existing string of pylons already taking 275kV power lines through the ward.
Community Council Scheme review
The council has launched a public consultation on how community councils in the area are created and governed and is keen to hear views from community councils and the wider public on these proposals, and also seeks further ideas and suggested changes to the Scheme.
The consultation runs from 16th January to 9th April. A summary of the amendments already proposed and scheme documentation can be found here where you can also complete a short survey.
The changes in how community councils operate in general are probably only going to be of interest to you if you are a member or former member of a council but this review should be of interest to anyone living in the ward as it also proposes significant changes to reduce the number of community councils from five (of which only four are active) to three. The changes proposed are:
merging Nairn West and Suburban CC and Nairn River CC into one community council for the whole of Nairn
minor changes to the current boundary of Cawdor and West Nairnshire CC along the western edge towards Croy
splitting the current, inactive, East Nairnshire CC area into two with the land west of the A939 becoming part of Cawdor and West Nairnshire CC, and the land east becoming part of Auldearn CC
I know there are strong views both for and against created a Nairn CC, but I think the third is probably sensible in principle given that too few of the residents of the current East Nairnshire CC area have come forward to form a council the last few times it’s been attempted.
Anyway, do let the council know your views.
Road closures
The C1163 west of Nairn, see map below, which provides entry to the Nairn Camping and Caravanning Club site among other things will be closed beginning on 20th January for yet more BT/Openreach works, see map below. As usual diversions will be in place but local access will be maintained.
There are also temporary closures of both the C1157 & C1174 roads near Fornighty beginning on Monday, 3rd February, see map below. Again this is BT/Openreach works. Traffic management with signed diversions will be in place. Local access will be maintained.
Finally I’ve spoken before about the ongoing road closure of the U2297 road at Drumduan Mill because of damage to the bridge parapet. See map below:
A contract has now been awarded to repair the bridge however, due to the nature of repairs required, lime mortar will be used to repair the cracked and damaged arch barrel deck as it is more resistant to moisture and water ingress. Lime mortar needs dry and warm weather in order to set and cure properly and so it is anticipated that repairs will commence in mid March at the earliest.
Planning applications
The following new applications were logged since I last posted:
24/05260/FUL - Land 350M NE Of Gleenie Blacksmiths, Clephanton, Ardersier - Erection of house (this one is, just, in the Cullodon and Ardersier ward but it may be on interest to some people who stay in our ward)
24/05096/FUL - Dalroy Bungalow, Culloden Moor, Inverness, IV2 5EN - Erection of replacement house and erection of garage (this one conversely is in our ward, just)
24/05264/FUL - Larrach Beag, 51 Manse Road, Nairn, IV12 4RS - Demolition of conservatory, erection of extension
To find details search on the reference number on the planning portal where you can also find details on how to comment.