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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Sandown 'Plan was wrong from the start' (Inverness Courier)

Twice in a row the Courier leader is taken up by a Nairn issue. In today's edition they point a finger at the Highland Council Planning department for the Sandown debacle. They state:

'READING the appeal decision rejecting plans for 550 new homes at Sandown Lands in Nairn simply reinforces the feeling that something went very wrong in Highland Council's planning department.

In their findings the Scottish Government Reporters are unequivocal - the scheme breaches the local plan, with the number of houses proposed being five times more than envisaged for the site; it would have an adverse impact on the local area; and it is at odds with the council's own masterplan for the site, the A96 Growth Corridor Framework and the Highland Wide Local Development Plan.

Yet council planning officials advised councillors to approve the project last year after spending two years working with the applicant, Deveron Homes. Thankfully, the elected members did their job and unanimously voted against this unsuitable development.

How on earth a scheme that drives a coach and horses through local planning policy was allowed to progress so far remains unclear, but there are a few clues buried in the Reporters' judgement.'

More on the Courier site.

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