Local Development Plan Committee

9 November 2009





IRVINE, 9 November 2009 - At a Meeting of the Local Development Plan Committee of North Ayrshire Council at 2.00 p.m.

Present
John Reid, Robert Barr, Matthew Brown, Andrew Chamberlain, Ian Clarkson, Margie Currie, Anthea Dickson, John Ferguson, Alex Gallagher, Tony Gurney, Jean Highgate, John Hunter, Ruby Kirkwood, Margaret McDougall, Peter McNamara, Ronnie McNicol, Pat McPhee, John Moffat, David Munn, Alan Munro, David O'Neill, Robert Rae and Joan Sturgeon.


In Attendance
R. Forrest, Planning Services Manager, M. Ferrier, Team Leader, D. Hammond, R. Henry, A. Laurenson and K. McKelvie, Planning Officers (Development Plans)(Legal and Protective); and P. Shiach, Committee Services Officer (Chief Executive's Service).

Also In Attendance
C. Anderson, (Consultant Landscape Architect), J. Miller, Chief Development Management Officer, A. McNair, Planning Officer (Development Plans) and I. Hossack, Policy Officer (Environment) (Legal and Protective).

Chair
Councillor Reid in the Chair.

Apologies for Absence
Tom Barr, William Gibson, Elisabethe Marshall and Elisabeth McLardy.



1. New Local Development Plan: Status Report and Development Plan Scheme (Update 1)

Submitted report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Protective), presenting an updated Development Plan Scheme (DPS) (Update 1), seeking approval to publish and advising the Committee on the status of the Local Development Plan (LDP) and supporting technical papers

Development Plan Schemes require to be published at least annually. The first DPS was approved by the Committee at its meeting on 16 March 2009. The first Update was appended to the report and detailed the timetable for preparing and reviewing the LDP, the various stages of the process, a statement on public participation and a progress report, on the work completed since the publication of the first DPS.



In preparing the Main Issues Report (MIR), the undernoted technical reports have been prepared to assist in forming a planning response: -
  • Landscape Assessment of Potential Development Areas on Mainland North Ayrshire
  • Landscape Assessment of Potential Development Areas in Arran
  • Employment Land Review, and
  • Housing Need and Demand Assessment.

An outline of the content of these technical reports was contained in the report. Members were advised that the Housing Need and Demand Assessment remains at a final draft stage, but its key messages were considered unlikely to change.

The Committee agreed to (a) approve the Development Plan Scheme (Update 1) for publication; and note (i) the content of the Status Report, and (ii) the technical papers which informed the compilation of the Main Issues Report.

2. Local Development Plan: Main Issues Report

Submitted report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Protective) on the Local Development Plan (LDP) Main Issues Report (MIR) and its Environmental Report and Monitoring Statements.

In terms of the LDP preparation process, the Council is required to prepare an MIR containing the authority's proposals for development. The MIR highlights choices which can be taken in planning for the development of the area over the next 20 years. It seeks the views of the community, the development industry and other interested parties, with regard to the options for development delivery in terms of an overall vision.

The MIR was accompanied by a Monitoring Statement and Environmental Report, together with summaries of Economic and Social Reports, copies of which were tabled at the meeting. Once approved, the LDP with replace the Ayrshire Structure Plan and existing Local Plans.

The Monitoring Statement was the subject of a report to the Committee in March 2009 and forms part of the evidence base for the LDP. The Environmental Report is a requirement of The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005. The LDP is assessed in terms of its impact on the environment. The Plan has also been developed through Social and Economic assessment and a sustainability appraisal.

The Five Main Issues previously identified were contained within the report as follows:-


  • New Uses for Old Sites;
  • The Future of Our Town Centres;
  • Rural, Coast and Island Development;
  • How Much Housing and Where, and
  • Providing Infrastructure.

A summary of the preferred options contained within the MIR was provided. Officers then responded to questions from Members on the content of the MIR, and an undertaking given to make the following amendments to the draft MIR: -
  • Greater emphasis on longer term improvements to the A737, A78 and A841 within the Vision;
  • The retention of McGavigan Way adjacent to Kilwinning Station within the town centre boundary;
  • Further explanation of the means of delivering affordable housing within Largs through site specific land allocations, and
  • An amendment to Appendix 3 of the MIR to further explain the situation with regard to future school provision, to reflect the latest position from Educational Services regarding the potential for replacement schools which may be required during the life of the Plan.

The Committee agreed to (a) approve the Main Issues Report and its accompanying Monitoring Statement and Environmental Report for publication and public consultation, subject to minor adjustments to be agreed with local Members and circulated to all Members of the Committee for information, and (b) that a public consultation period of 8 weeks run from late January to late March 2010.

3. Ayrshire Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) on Wind Farm Development

Submitted report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Protective) on an Addendum to the Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan: Technical Report TR03/2006: Renewables.

The report advised the Committee of the preparation and approval of the Ayrshire Special Planning Guidance (SPG) on Wind Farm Development by the Ayrshire Joint Planning Steering Group (AJPSG) for subsequent approval by each of the three Ayrshire Councils. It also sought the Committee's agreement for the Ayrshire Joint Planning Unit Supplementary Planning Guidance on Wind Farm Development to be approved as an Addendum to the Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan Technical Report TRO3/2006: Renewables.


The national policy context for wind farm development was issued by the Scottish Government in March 2007 through the publication of Scottish Planning Policy 6 (SPP6) Renewable Energy, which set out national policies for renewable energy that planning authorities should take into account when preparing development plans and determining planning applications.

The report indicated that while the Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan contained relatively up to date policies on renewable energy developments, the AJPSG considered it important to prepare further guidance on wind farm developments to supplement those policies, thereby ensuring compliance with the requirements of the relevant Scottish Planning Policy documents and Planning Advice Notes.

The Committee agreed to approve the Ayrshire SPG on Wind Farm Development as an Addendum to the Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan Technical Report TRO3/2006: Renewables for use in the assessment of wind farm applications and the formation of relevant policies in the new Local Development Plan.

4. Supplementary Planning Guidance: Landscape Capacity Study for Wind Farm Development within North Ayrshire

Submitted report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Protective) advising the Committee on non-statutory Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to support the Ayrshire SPG on Landscape Capacity for Wind Farm Development within North Ayrshire.

The Council, in May 2008, commissioned Carol Anderson (Landscape Architect) to carry out a landscape capacity study for wind farm development to assist in addressing pressure from developers for wind farm development particularly within the upland area of North Ayrshire.

The study was undertaken in a phased manner with Phase 1 covering the upland area of North Ayrshire and Phase 2 covering the remainder of the area. Members were provided with a presentation of the outcome of the study by Ms Anderson outlining the conclusions of Phases 1 and 2 of the study. Thereafter Ms Anderson answered questions on the issues raised.

The Committee, with Councillor R Barr dissenting, agreed to (a) approve the "Landscape Capacity Study for Wind Farm Development within North Ayrshire" as a non-statutory SPG for decision making on wind farm applications: and (b) that consultation be undertaken during the preparation of the Local Development Plan with a view to adopting the guidance as Statutory SPG to the Local Development Plan.

The meeting ended at 4.20 p.m.