Murd Disappointed with Fergus over Firhall Bridge

Murd tells the Gurn that he came back from holiday to an e-mail from MSP Fergus Ewing in which Fergus tells him: "...having now met you at the site, and having had a better take on other peoples diverse views, I cannot see how this project can be taken forward at this time."

Regular readers will recall that there was a meeting at the Firhall Bridge recently with Murd, Fergus and members of the access panel present. In his e-mail Fergus details a number of reasons why he feels he cannot support Murd. Murd in his indefatiguable way has responded to them all. 

Murd tells us that Fergus seems to be  influenced by the attitude of the Access Panel and quotes Fergus in his e-mail: "Third, I have formerly asked you for evidence that the local access panel support the project. It is for the Panel to speak for themselves. However there are practical objections to what you propose and these cannot and should not be ignored. Some indeed were expressed at the site meeting."

Murd tells the Gurn that there are parts of the Highlands where finance seems to be available to improve bridge access and points to this example here in Fort William.  He told us that despite his bitter disappointment with Fergus Ewing he will continue campaigning for improved access at the Firhall Bridge. 

Coastguard to the rescue as vehicle submerged on West Beach early Saturday evening

Cricket on the Links tomorow (Sunday 5th) - The finals of the 2018 Reserve T20 competition

Magnus tells the Gurn

The finals of the 2018 Reserve T20 competition will take place this Sunday at The Links, Nairn. Match 1 - 10.30 hrs: Nairn vs Northern Counties Match 2 - 13.30 hrs: Loser of Match 1 vs Buckie Match 3 - 16.30 hrs: Buckie vs Winner of Match 1. Many thanks to everyone at Nairn for hosting the event and best of luck to all competing teams.

Community groups have prepared briefing document for Planning Committee members who will make site visit to Nairn Lochloy on Wednesday morning

The document begins:

"This note [prepared and agreed by Nairn River Community Council, Nairn Residents Concern Group and the Kingsteps Residents Group] is a checklist and aide-memoire intended to assist members of the South Planning Applications Committee undertaking a site visit to South Kingsteps (site NA2) on 8 August.

It is not an attempt to summarise all the 100-plus objections raised to this application. 

Rather it identifies eight simple but key questions which Councillors might like to raise and discuss - or have in mind – as they undertake the site visit.

Those key issues are:

the impact on the Kingsteps neighbourhood 

housing density and overdevelopment 

relationship with Lochloy/Meadowlea 

access and road capacity 

political sensitivity and 'windfall' benefit 

water, drainage and sewage issues 

environmental concerns 

wider cumulative impact on the town" 

Anyone wishing to get up to date with all the major issues (as seen from those community groups opposed) concerning the controversial Springfield application for 115 houses on Liz's land may wish to read the document here.

The Lochloy Planning controvesy - Podcast on P&J site looking at past and present including Springfield application

The Springfield planning application for 115 houses out at Lochloy on Liz's land comes up for analysis on a very interesting Podcast that looks at past and present issues at Lochloy and how Nairn folk feel ignored by Highland Council.

What's going wrong with so called localism?  Loreine Thomson and Morton Gilliespire interviewed in the P&J podcast by the paper's Susy Macaulay.  More here (once there head down the page a littel for the Podcast). 

Springfield applicaiton for 115 houses on Liz's land – Kingsteps residents raise issue they feel has been ignored so far.

Kingsteps residents feel that the planning department have sidestepped the fact that Kingsteps has always been considered a rural hamlet in it's own right rather than part of Nairn and that now the planning department have been ignoring or sidestepping this. One of them told us:

"We will be going to great lengths to demonstrate that Kingsteps is historically and always has been a separate rural settlement and should be treated as such for future planning."

They point to pervious deliberations that show this. All this is quite aside from other infrastructure, wildlife and other issues that are contained in objections from the Community Councils and others. 

The planning committee of Highland Council will make a site visit to the Lochloy area on Wednesday the 8th of August at approximately 09.30 and objectors are encouraging all those with concerns on local housing and planning matters to attend that site visit to lobby councillors with their views.

Individual images here

Vandalism to cars in the Fishertown area - Nairn BID offer £500 reward for information leading to the conviction of those involved.

Save the badgers poster and others appear on Lochloy Road in advance of Highland Council Planning Committee visit on Weds 8th of August

Local residents and others that have strong concerns about the Springfield proposal for a large number of houses on land owned by Cllr Liz MacDonald have today been making their views known by displaying a number of posters in the Kingsteps area. More pictures soon. 

Social housing in Nairn - should we insist on Council and developers building more accomodation for single people?

Regular readers will no doubt will have seen the articles concerning "affordable housing" here and here. There is also a remarkable ongoing conversation on Nairn Rocks facebook page where local people are showing tremendous interest in this issue and some quite interesting comments have been made. It all comes against the background of the impending site visit by the Highland Council Planning Committee to the highly controversial site on Lochloy road where Springfield wish to build a large number of houses on land owned by local Councillor Liz MacDonald. That visit will take place on Wednesday 8th of August at approximately 9.30 am and Lochloy residents are encouraging all those with concerns on local housing and planning matters to attend that site visit. 

Whilst reading the conversation on social media we came across an analysis of the numbers of  those on the local council house waiting list.  We made inquiries and the information on the facebook page comes from a River Community Council meeting back in January of this year. We went back and had a look at the minutes of that meeting and here's what we find interesting, it is Lochloy resident Loreine Thomson speaking to the meeting:

"Forres Road plans propose ‘affordable’ housing rather than social housing with no allocation for social rent from Highland Council mentioned, These ‘affordable’ houses are offered for sale by part purchase from Albyn Housing, and do not add to local ‘social housing’ stock in the long term. 

Also the mix of housing types proposed does not represent needs of the 305 Nairn households on current Highland Council housing waiting list. 20% of these are transfer requests( mostly downsizing) 235 (61%) seek a 1 bed house 24% a 2 bed house and only 10% 3 bedrooms. If the 29 affordable homes on offer by Albyn Housing at Forres Road reflected local demand, the mix would be 18x1 bed, 8x 2 bed ,and 3x3 bed. Instead it is 8x1 bed, 11x2 bed and 10x3 bed. The Highland Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) proposes only 31 social homes for Nairn out of a total build of 213 with none due before 2020 and the 2nd lowest allocation in Highland. LM also noted that Forres Road site is not in either of 2 Local Development Plans."

There we have it folks, it seems that 61% of folk on the housing waiting list just want a one bedroom home. It makes sense when you think about it, just how do you get started as a young person if you wish to move into your own home? There are suggestions too that more of us are chosing to lead a solitary life too. Should Highland Council be insisting that developers change their priorities. 

Also folks keep further up todate on this issue by reading the letters in this week's edition of the Nairnshire Telegraph. More on this social media thread too. 

And at Fort George on the 11th and 12th of August

More information here