Cinema Nairn A Man Called Ove (15) Friday 13th April 7.30pm - Nairn Community and Arts Centre Tickets at the door

Friday’s film for Cinema Nairn is the 2015 Swedish comedy, ‘A Man Called Ove’. (15)

The story tells of Ove, a grumpy, isolated retired widower, who likes nothing better than to enforce the apartment block rules and has just about given up on life. When Parvaneh and her boisterous family move into the house opposite sparks fly initially, but might it be just what Ove needs? A feel good comedy about finding friendship in unexpected places which was nominated for best foreign language film in the 2017 Oscars.

Film starts at 7.30 at Nairn Community and Arts Centre. Tickets at the door.

Highland Council's Flood Risk Management Team object to proposed retail unit and a restaurant with drive-thru lane at Balmakeith

Here's a couple of extracts from the Highland Council's own Flood Risk Management team responce to the planning officer responsible for the application:

"iii)The site drainage is to discharge into the Auldearn Burn to the south of the site. The Auldearn Burn has a history of flooding downstream in the area around Balmakeith Park and for this reason we require the post development runoff to be limited to the existing 2 year greenfield runoff rate. This has been calculated as 1.5 l/s."

 iv). The current drainage proposals result in post development runoff rates of 2.5, 2.5, and 3.0l/s for 2, 30, and 200 year plus climate change return period storms respectively (taken from Appendix F of the SWMP). These rates equate to an increase in discharge over the existing greenfield rate for a 2 year storm, a slight betterment for a 30 year storm and a betterment for a 200 year storm.

 v). As the current drainage strategy results in increased discharge over existing greenfield rates for the more frequent storm events we are not able to support the current drainage strategy and we raise an objection to the development. 

Please note that submission of further information does not guarantee that the Flood Risk Management Team will be able to support this application. We reserve the right to request additional information in the determination of the application."

You can read the Flood Risk Management Team submission in full and other objections and statements of support on the Highland Council e-planning site here under the comments and document tabs here. 

Gurn opinion: drainage will obviously be a serious stepping stone here for any future development at Balmakeith, the Auldearn Burn can indeed rise sharply during extreme weather events. Below are images from August 2014. 

New retail developments at Sainsbury site, and further housing at Lochloy/Kingsteps and Forres Road - Nairn River Commmunity Council asks planners "to consider all three proposals as interlinked".

More on the NRCC site here. 

Association of Nairn Businesses object to proposed retail unit and a restaurant with drive-thru lane at Balmakeith

In a submission to the planning application currently live on the Highland Council e-planning site the ANB state:

"The ANB objects to this application on three specific grounds: 

• it is inconsistent and in conflict with the existing conditions which were applied to the initial development on this site and have been endorsed by an Appeal Reporter and Ministers. These conditions are a material consideration and and are still applicable in respect of any and all other proposed retail development at this location; 

• if granted, this application will further damage the existing Nairn High Street retail businesses, and thus will undermine the very reasons which led to the original conditions being applied 

• the granting of consent for retail premises at this location would not be in compliance with national government planning policy as set out in the “Town Centres First” approach which is now embodied in Policy 1 of the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan"

They then go on to refer to planning conditions imposed on the Sainsbury's development, including: "4. No part of the development shall be used as a café, restaurant (other than staff café or restaurant), post office or pharmacy."

The submission concludes:

" Our view is not only that the current application directly breaches the conditions already in place on specified types of retail development at this location. The ANB also regards this proposal for a drivein/take-away restaurant and for a Class 1 retailer of non-food products as likely, indeed certain, to inflict further damage on the viability of the existing High Street. To approve this application would thus contradict the reasoning for, and undermine the purposes of the conditions already in place – which are to preserve the vitality of the town centre and the provision of local retail facilities elsewhere in the town 

In terms of broader planning policy, in recent years the Government has adopted the principle of ‘Town centre first’ in terms of development planning. This has been incorporated into the current (July 2015) Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan. Because the present proposal may – indeed in our view will – have an adverse effect on Nairn Town centre, it does not comply with para 2.8 and Policy 1 of the IMFLDP.

 Every developer will make claims as to how their proposals will not result in any net detrimental effects on the local town centres, yet no one seems to be able to cite any examples of out of town shopping areas actually improving the local High Street. What we have seen in Nairn Town Centre since the above development was put in place is a decline in trade with people moving to the out of town location. To combat this the ANB are working with our Councillors and others to develop a BID (Business Improvement District) to enable an upturn in trade within the town through focussed cosmetic improvements as well as enhance marketing and collaborative working, all of which would be put at risk through a further decline in trade"

You can read the ANB submission in full and other objections and statements of support on the Highland Council e-planning site here under the comments and document tabs here. 

Noel Gallager's Highflying Carpets - The Playhouse 27th July 2018 - NCFC fundraiser for Toilet Block Fund

"There is no doubt that Highland Councillors have become fed up with criticism which gets fed through local community councils and to some extent with meetings being dominated by members of the public grinding axes"

More on page 6 of this week's Nairnshire Telegraph - Ediotrial "New Format".

"It was perhaps just a matter of time before the BID got the the cold shower treatment"

More on page 6 of this week's Nairnshire Telegraph - Ediotrial "No unity".

Albert Street lights to go for good - Transport Scotland press release

A set of traffic lights on the A96 in Nairn is to be removed permanently, following a successful trial.

The temporary removal of the signals at the A96/Albert Street junction began in November 2017. Monitoring of the junction has shown that journey times through Nairn improved during the trial period, with no adverse impact on pedestrians or cyclists.

The decision has now been made to permanently remove the traffic signals, with this likely to take place in late April/ May 2018.

Minister for Transport and the Islands Humza Yousaf said:

“We launched this trial after the community raised concerns about congestion in Nairn. Road safety will always be our main priority, and we are delighted that the changes improved journey times while maintaining a safe environment for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

“Work will now begin to permanently remove the traffic signals and install a permanent pedestrian barrier so drivers can benefit from faster journey times, while also maintaining safe pedestrian crossing points.

“The success of this trial is an excellent example of Transport Scotland working in collaboration with local councils and community groups to improve the road network within Scotland.”

The trial follows on-going collaboration between Transport Scotland, The Highland Council and local representatives in the Nairn Community Focus Group.

Councillor Tom Heggie, Chair of the Nairn Community Focus Group said:

“The trial removal of the lights have proved to improve the traffic flow in Nairn. The proximity of two sets of lights was, on occasion, confusing.

"We appreciate that there has been a considered and positive collaboration with the community and local representatives leading to this positive outcome.”

Parking meters have been ordered

Yesterday we contacted Highland Council in connection with a press article that indicated parking meters had been ordered for Dingwall, we asked: "Have any parking meters been ordered for Nairn?"

We had a prompt response this morning, "A Highland Council spokesperson said: “New parking meters have been ordered to support the roll out of charging for parking, as per decisions on parking approved at the Council’s budget meeting of the 15 February 2018.”

Free parking (for now) in Nairn town centre and very hard to find a space this morning 4th April 2018

Meanwhile in Dingwall (another Highland town threatened with parking charges) there is more than a little bit of concern about an order for meters

"Dingwall parking campaigners have accused Highland Council of a “fait accompli” after it emerged parking meters have already been ordered despite promises of consultation.

A senior councillor last night confirmed the equipment had been purchased – but said it could be used elsewhere if Dingwall avoided the charges.

However, angry locals claim the move shows the council is just “going through the motions” offering to talk before imposing the controversial charges."

This observer is just off over to the Highland Council website to ask the press office if any have been ordered for Nairn. 

More in the Press and Journal here.