WARNING - By their nature, text files cannot include scanned images and tables. The process of converting documents to text only, can cause formatting changes and misinterpretation of the contents can sometimes result. Wherever possible you should refer to the pdf version of this document. CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY Title: LOCAL PLAN: NOTICE OF INTENTION TO PROCEED; and PROGRESS UPDATE. Prepared by: NORMAN BROCKIE, PLANNING OFFICER (Local Plan/Policy) Purpose This aim of this report is to inform the Board about the official start of the Local Plan consultation process, and to deliver a brief progress update on the Plan. Recommendations • The Board supports the commencement of the Local Plan consultation, with the ‘Notice of intention to Proceed’ as per Appendix 1. Towards a plan which will deliver sustainable development across the park; a plan which will be clear and concise, with the full backing of the Park’s communities and all bodies who will either implement or use the plan. Executive Summary The first official stage of developing a new local plan is to advertise a ‘Notice of Intention to Proceed’, as per Appendix 1, in the local press (for 2 consecutive weeks) and in the Edinburgh Gazette. The Local Plan is currently approaching the official start of its consultation, with our two Community Liaison Co-ordinators ‘out in the field’ to raise awareness about it amongst communities, and set-up communication networks. The first phase of the consultation is the delivery of an area-specific community profile to every household within the Park. This profile also contains a questionnaire which asks some general questions about future development in that community and across the Park. The first round of consultation events and workshops will be held across the Park from October to December 2004; these will be information gathering opportunities, on which the Preliminary Draft Plan will be based. The starting point for these events will be the questionnaire results, existing community planning initiatives, and the existing development plans for that area. CNP LOCAL PLAN : NOTICE of INTENTION to PROCEED The official start of the preparation of a new local plan is the advertisement of a ‘Notice of Intention to Proceed’, which must be advertised in the local press of the area to be covered by the plan, over two consecutive weeks; it must also be advertised in the Edinburgh Gazette. The draft advert is in Appendix 1. CNP LOCAL PLAN : PROGRESS REPORT INTRODUCTION 1. One of the statutory planning functions of the CNPA is to produce a Local Plan to provide a detailed framework for land-use planning within the Park. This plan will be developed in tandem with the Park Plan, which will provide the strategic framework for the Local Plan. While the Park Plan will replace the existing four structure plans within the Park, until it does the new CNP Local Plan will have to comply with the existing structure plans, or justify its variance from them. BACKGROUND 2. The existing development plan context was covered by Board Paper 2, 13/02/04 (Local Plan Working Group: Progress Report). THE CNP LOCAL PLAN CONSULTATION 3. The first stage in the Local Plan consultation will be the delivery of a Questionnaire and Community Profile to every household within the Park; this will happen in early September 2004. Following this will be the first round of consultation workshops and events (October to December 2004), which will be an opportunity to collect information and ideas. The starting point for these meetings will be the questionnaire results, existing community planning initiatives and the existing development plans. 4. The results from these events (we’ll be avoiding formal meetings) will inform the development of the Preliminary Draft Plan, which will go out for the second round of consultations in April 2005. 5. The results of that consultation will inform the development of the Finalised Draft Plan which will go on Deposit for consultation in late Autumn 2005; this is the formal stage of the consultation where we will receive written objections. The Local Plan has a legal requirement to comply with the Park Plan, so the Local Plan cannot be adopted by the CNPA Board until the Park Plan has been; this is not a problem for the Local Plan as it can operate as a ‘material consideration’ in the determination of planning applications, and as emerging policy, as soon as the Finalised Draft is put on deposit. 6. Once on Finalised Draft Deposit, we will have plenty time to consider objections, hopefully resolving them through meetings and hearings, and possibly modifying the Plan. Once the Park Plan is adopted, and we have amended the Local Plan if required by changes to the Park Plan, we can further assess any objections to the Local Plan and hold a Public Local Inquiry if these objections cannot be resolved by hearings or arbitration. LOCAL PLAN WORKING GROUP 7. The Working Group will continue its role of bringing together all the main stakeholders, who must either use or implement the plan when finalised. While other Working Groups have been wound-up, the role of the LPWG will increase in importance as the plan develops. Widespread ownership and approval of the plan is vital to its effectiveness in guiding and implementing sustainable development across the Park. 8. External Members. The following external members are currently on the Group: Highland Council (Development Planning) Aberdeenshire Council (Development Planning) Moray Council (Development Planning) Angus Council (Development Planning) Perth & Kinross Council (Development Planning) SNH Scottish Rural Property and Business Association Cairngorms Chamber of Commerce Association of Cairngorms Community Councils SEPA Cairngorms Housing Forum Scottish Water. 9. More external members will join the Group as the Plan develops, such as the LECs, Community Planning reps. from the 4 constituent local authorities and the Forestry Commission. 10. As the Park Plan Working Group has been wound-up, a staff group comprising both the Park Plan and Local Plan teams has been set-up (with reps. from other staff groups) to ensure their co-ordinated development. INTERIM PLANNING POLICIES 11. These are being developed as ‘supplements’ to the Local Plan, initially as Interim Planning Policies and when adopted (post-consultation) as Supplementary Planning Guidance. Seven issues were identified in Planning Committee Paper 7 21/11/03: housing in the countryside, renewable energy, vehicle hill tracks, telecommunications, design and siting of development in the countryside, mineral extraction and conservation areas/listed buildings. 12. The renewable energy paper has returned from consultation and a second draft is being prepared; radio-telecoms and vehicle hill tracks are currently out for consultation. Minerals will be sent out shortly and we’re currently preparing housing in the countryside as a committee paper. PROGRESS SO FAR 13. The major development so far is the commissioning of two Community Liaison Co-ordinators, Anna Barton and Jean Henretty. They have been in post since May 2004, and their main task is to go around communities, raising awareness of the Local Plan and developing communication networks. Anna covers Badenoch & Strathspey, Jean covers Tomintoul to the Angus Glens, each with 12 Community Council areas. While the community consultation will focus on Community Councils in each area as the primary ‘conduit’ for delivery and feedback, we will aim to reach all other groups within each community (such as youth groups), as well as consulting more widely to local and national interests. 14. Each Community Council/Association has been asked to supply several volunteer ‘facilitators’ to work with Jean & Anna, and offered 3 options for the running of the consultation process, with varying degrees of autonomy: a) The Community Liaison Co-ordinator (CLC’s) and CNPA Planning Officers (PO’s) organise & run the consultations. b) The Community Councils select one or more ‘facilitators’ to assist the CLC’s and PO’s to organise & run the consultations. c) The Community Councils facilitators, with the CLC’s, will organise & run the consultations. 15. The facilitators are shortly to be given detailed training on community engagement/consultation skills and tools in September; if there is space at workshops, places will also be offered to staff and Board Members. 16. Planning Aid: Planning Aid for Scotland is a registered charity who work to help people access and understand the planning system; they are currently developing a ‘Planning for People’ project whereby they provide training for community groups in ‘areas of change’ so that they can engage more successfully with the planning process. In June they provided two training sessions on each side of the Park for future community ‘facilitators’. 17. The Wester Ross Local Plan, which is now on Finalised Draft Deposit, is a pilot-study which has been encouraged by the Scottish Executive; it aims to streamline and ‘fast-track’ the Local Plan process and end up with a more concise and user-friendly document. These are aims which the CNP Local Plan will try to emulate and we shall be watching the Wester Ross Plan carefully at this crucial stage in its consultation. APPENDIX 1: The NOTICE OF INTENTION TO PROCEED NOTICE OF INTENTION TO START PREPARATION OF A LOCAL PLAN TOWN & COUNTRY PLANNING (SCOTLAND) ACT 1997 CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK LOCAL PLAN The Cairngorms National Park Authority intend to prepare a Cairngorms National Park Local Plan to replace the four existing local authority* local plans within the Park boundary. *Highland, Moray, Aberdeenshire and Angus. (we are also preparing the National Park Plan, which will provide the strategic framework for the Local Plan, and act as the operational and management plan for the whole Park). The Cairngorms National Park is a Park for everyone, and we want to make the preparation of the new Local Plan, which is the blueprint for all future land-use development within the Park, equally inclusive. You will be given a number of opportunities to ‘have your say!’ ~ not just in how your community or area develops, but the whole National Park as well. Look out for the Community Profile and Questionnaire that will be coming through your letter-box in early September; please take time to complete and return the questionnaire ~ as its results will inform the first round of public meetings and events (held in your community from October to December, check local press, notice-boards and our website for details). We have two dedicated Community Liaison Co-ordinators working in your area (Anna Barton in Badenoch & Strathspey, Jean Henretty in Tomintoul - Angus Glens), as well as local people who have volunteered as facilitators. You can contact the Local Plan team and/or get more info. on the Local Plan by: post at Cairngorms National Park Authority, Albert Hall, Station Square, Ballater, Aberdeenshire AB35 5QB. phone at 013397 53601 e-mail at planning@cairngorms.co.uk website at www.cairngorms.co.uk Don McKee Head of Planning, Cairngorms National Park Authority.