Sunday, February 28, 2010

Sandown Public Inquiry Tuesday - be there!

Starts 10.00 Tuesday 2nd March

Gather at 09.30 outside the Community Centre to show your support for the objectors

Update: article and picture on Press and Journal website:

'Councillors have registered concerns that Nairn’s existing infrastructure would be unable to cope with such a population influx.
Local councillor Sandy Park, the authority’s convener, has warned that services in the town are already “creaking at the seams”.
Deveron Highland spent two years and a six-figure sum developing the scheme in consultation with the council, whose rules demand that at least a quarter of the homes would have to be “affordable”.
The vision, including a business centre, community facilities and a wetland park, was opposed by local councillors, the Nairn Residents Concern Group and Nairn Golf Club, but has the support of Inverness Chamber of Commerce.'

Full article here.

Also comment from Inverness South Community Councillor Liz Gilchrist on her blog:

'This application was turned down by the Councillors because of their concerns?
Why are the same rules not put in place for all developments within the region.
Development will happen, they have to. Increasing population demands require more homes and particulary affordable ones.
BUT time and time again we ask that infrastructure is put in place along with developments and not left to chance after the event when we know they will happen!
The argument is that an influx of people will automatically bring new long-term growth and sustainable growth for the local economy. That does not follow.'
Liz's blog is here.

1 comment:

nairnbairn said...

This passage quoted above, from the P&J article, is very telling:

"The vision, including a business centre, community facilities and a wetland park, was opposed by local councillors, the Nairn Residents Concern Group and Nairn Golf Club, but has the support of Inverness Chamber of Commerce".

The views of the Inverness Chamber of Commerce are not relevant to a development in Nairn. It is presumptuous of them to comment, and outrageous that they should be endorsing a proposal that is so widely unacceptable to the people of Nairn.

Unless of course the Inverness Chamber of Commerce - perhaps reflecting the views of its members - has ulterior motives, and sees the construction of a disproportionately large housing development at Sandown as serving the interests, not of Nairn, but of Inverness....

Is it any wonder that Nairn residents suspect that this, and other, proposals for massive housing expansion in Nairn are driven not by local needs and priorities, but by pressure for more dormitory-space, affordable housing, and commuter-accommodation for Inverness?