The Cairngorms National Park is the largest park in BritainThe Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) is to consider a proposal to create a new community on the outskirts of Aviemore.

Park officials have recommended that the CNPA’s planning committee approves the project in principle.

Rothiemurchus Estate’s project would see 1,500 homes and business and community facilities built in phases at An Camas Mor, close to Coylumbridge.

The CNPA said it would be one of the “biggest developments in a generation”.

The Cairngorms National Park is the largest national park in Britain.

Duncan Bryden, CNPA planning committee convener, said the proposal required a rigorous examination.

He said: “This is the largest and most complex application to come before us – indeed it is the only proposal for a new community in a UK National Park.”

Objectors to the project include Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group.

It said the site was home to a large population of slender groundhopper, a rare invertebrate, and other species of wildlife.

The An Camas Mor project team sees the 259-acre (105-hectare) development as a solution to the area’s “chronic shortage” of housing, business and community facilities.

If approved, the scheme would be built in phases and completed by 2027.

Link to original BBC article

By Iain Ramage – Press and Journal

Published: 25/01/2010

The Highland capital is a contender to be named the UK’s ugliest city. A panel of architects and designers included Inverness in the nominations for the UK-wide Carbuncle Awards.

It makes the list for the “monstrous” design of the city centre and “mushrooming suburban sprawl”.

Cumbernauld, Glenrothes and Coatbridge are among past recipients of the award, which used to be restricted to Scotland.

People in Inverness greeted the nomination with a mixture of anger and acceptance last night.

An awards spokesman said the Highland capital had been dubbed “Tulloch town” by some critics due to the local developer’s dominance and highlighted earlier “box-like monstrosities” in the city centre.

There was a degree of acceptance of the criticism yesterday – but optimism that things would change.

City provost Jimmy Gray said: “The 1960s Bridge Street buildings are probably not the most attractive, but to say Inverness is anywhere near the ugliest in the UK is utter nonsense. Most people who visit think it’s an extremely attractive place.”

His deputy, Alex Graham, agreed, insisting Inverness was an attractive city with tremendous charm.

Local SNP councillor John Finnie was equally surprised.

He offered to escort panel members around the city to show them “the many wonderful historic sites” Inverness has to offer.

Labour councillor John Holden said the council had inherited a lot of poorly designed buildings but had attempted to redress that.

Barrie Haycock, of local pressure group Planning Watch, said it was only a matter of time before Inverness was singled out for such an award. He said: “Unfortunately, Highland Council seems to have adopted a policy of chasing planning gain monies rather than developing integrated communities for the benefit of those who choose to live in the area.”

He added that millions of pounds were spent on the Inverness Streetscape project while surrounding streets remained pockmarked with decaying buildings.

Inverness South community council member Liz Gilchrist added: “In the haste to make Inverness a city, it has been developed into a sprawling mass, losing its identity.”

Thomas Prag, another Lib Dem city councillor, disputed the carbuncle tag but urged planners and colleagues to be more imaginative.

He said: “A lot of estates were built in a hurry because the demand was there. But we’re beginning to put that right and the Housing Expo is a hugely positive sign that we now know better.”

Urban Realm, the architectural magazine behind the awards, promotes the event as “a force for good and a real motivator” to transform cities. The winner will be decided by public vote.

Council chief makes clear public will pick up the tab if event does not go ahead

By jonny muir – Press and Journal

Published: 16/11/2009

The taxpayer will pick up the tab if a multimillion-pound exhibition showcasing environmentally friendly homes is cancelled, it has emerged.

Scotland’s Housing Expo is due to be held at Balvonie Braes, Inverness, in August 2010, but contingency plans have been prepared in case the event is abandoned or delayed.

In a report to councillors, Geoff Robson, Highland Council’s head of environment and development, said cancellation would lead to the liquidation of the Expo company, with “any outstanding debts being met from public sector resources”.

Identified risks that could lead to postponement of the 55-home event, which has already been delayed by a year, include failure to complete houses on time, low ticket sales or insufficient sponsorship.

Expo board chairman Jean Urquhart yesterday predicted “success, not disaster” and said a risk assessment had to be prepared to “reassure all our partners in the event of disaster”.

She said the prospect of cancellation was “simply not being contemplated”, but conceded there was a chance that the homes might not all be completed in time.

Despite the assurance, there were calls at the weekend to scrap the event, believed to be costing about £5million, to avoid it becoming a “white elephant”.

Barrie Haycock, a member of Inverness South Community Council, said: “There would be uproar from everybody if the event had to be cancelled.

“That money could have built a new school in Milton of Leys.”

Questioning the Expo’s potential to generate a budgeted £180,000 in ticket sales, he added: “Where they think these people are going to come from – given that large annual exhibitions with free admission are held in Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and London – is a mystery to anyone who has an understanding of marketing.”

Liz Gilchrist, who sits on a community liaison group of councillors, Expo representatives, residents and ward managers, said organisers had been upbeat about the event’s prospects at their last meeting on October 14.

She said: “They were very positive and hoping to get the site up and running by April. The public sector is already peeved at cuts, and having to carry the can for this would rub salt in the wound.”

Inverness South councillor John Holden added: “There is a great danger of it not happening, and I fear the public purse will have to pay for what is someone’s badly thought-out dream.”

In a report to Wednesday’s planning, environment and development committee, Mr Robson said the Expo would be promoted by a 10-month travelling exhibition.

Budget forecasts indicate that, as well as generating £180,000 from ticket sales, the Expo must make £80,000 from sponsorship, £27,000 from parking charges and £20,000 from brochure sales.

The Expo, previously called the Highland Housing Fair, aims to showcase modern low-energy housing designs, stimulate the wider use of timber construction and promote the “creativity and quality of lifestyle” in the Highlands.

Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1484194#ixzz0XCmXpbQn

Planning Watch pictures of the forlorn and neglected site taken on 15th November 2009:

Entrance to the site

No evidence of house building commencement

Companies House records detailed below indicate that accounts should have been filed no later than 30th July 2009.

In a meeting attended by the Editor of Planning Watch UK,  in a private capacity, with Neil Cameron of Tulloch Homes and Richard Hartland, Head of Planning, Highland Council, on Thursday last, Mr Middleton,  Managing Director Greenbelt Group Ltd.,  continued to state that it was business as usual, giving no indication of the threat to the Greenbelt Group Ltd., company.

Thousands of home owners throughout the UK are tied to maintenance contracts with this company,  put in place by developers and signed off  by council planning authorites as “fit for purpose”,  with both UK and Scottish Government continuing to refuse to put consumer protection regulations in place demanded by home owners.

Complaints have been made to Trading Standards,  a number of Police Forces, numerous Members of Parliament, both MP’s and MSP’s and directly to the Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing MSP.

In Scotland, the Scottish Government have indicated that they seem to think that the Maintenance industry concerned should regulate itself and the Office of Fair Trading continues to sit on the fence, despite receiving numerous complaints from many different areas of the UK.

Surely it is now time for MP’s and MSP’s to collectively take action to represent the electorate who have elected  representataives to protect the interests of their communities?

Editor

Notes:

Fergus Ewing MSP – Scottish National Party

Fergus Ewing MSP – Scottish Government bio:

Fergus was first elected in 1999 as the MSP for Inverness East Nairn and Lochaber. He was re-elected in 2003 and again in the 2007 elections. Prior to being elected he ran his own law practice and developed SNP policy on small business as well as serving on the national executive of the SNP.

He is the son of Winnie, formerly the MSP for Highlands and Islands and MEP for Scotland, and brother of Annabelle, formerly MP for Perth.

His constituency is the second largest in Scotland, and is about 5 times larger than greater London which has around 90 MPs. Fergus campaigns on a wide variety of matters of vital importance to the area.
He seeks to represent everyone, irrespective of their own political views, and is keen to try to offer help to all constituents when they seek it.

***************************

Herald Scotland:

Copies of the 26-page booklet, showcasing the Highland Housing Fair, were distributed at the Scottish Parliament in a move by the organisers to secure £4.75 million of public money for the event, due to be held next year at Balvonie Braes.

The brochure clearly stated that the site was chosen because it is close to Milton of Leys which has a primary school, church hall, local shops and public house, surgery, day care facilities and playing field.

However, after angry local residents and community leaders pointed out that the only community facility in the area is a postbox, housing fair organisers were forced to acknowledge their error.

A spokesman said that 500 copies were printed in time for a reception held at the parliament on 13th January.

Some had been handed out to those present, including MSPs, but the rest will now be withdrawn and destroyed.

“There was no intention to mislead anyone,” the spokesman said. “It was an error made in the haste of getting the booklet ready for the reception. The error in the booklet will be corrected for future print runs.”

Barrie Haycock, a local resident and chairman of Planning Watch UK, described the document, which contains the Highland Council logo, as “greatly misleading”.

“It is a complete fabrication of reality,” he said. “There are no community facilities with the exception of a postbox at Milton of Leys.

“It is an absolute disgrace that Highland Council could put its name to a document which is misleading to any person who takes the time and trouble to read it.”

The brochure at the centre of the controversy. Alasdair Allen

Bob Roberts, chairman of the Inverness South Community Council, was equally bemused by the publication, which states: “The site is well-located next to the Milton of Leys local centre which is easily accessible on foot.”

The council gave an additional £40,000 to the housing fair’s board last year. The money was to be used for a range of things including ticket and brochure printing plus advertising and promotion of the fair.

“Is this what they are using the money for?” Mr Roberts queried.

“I am absolutely outraged at this. The community at Milton of Leys has been totally misled by this. We have been promised these facilities for years and years and still they never appear — yet they seem to say they exist in this publication. We would love them to exist.”

Such was the concern about the lack of facilities in the rapidly-expanding suburb that a steering group, including Highland councillors, community councillors and other community representatives, was set up last year. A wish-list of priorities included a school and a multi-purpose community hall with sports facilities.

The housing fair, based on a Finnish model, is due to showcase 55 eco-homes which will be sold afterwards. The event, billed as the first of its kind in Scotland, had been due to be held in August but was postponed until 2010 due to the economic climate.

v.sweeney@inverness-courier.co.uk

A new dawn for the Housing Fair at Milton of Leys looks increasingly unlikely. Gary Anthony

But unless the Scottish Government now agrees to underwrite the project to the tune of £4.75 million, and persuades banks to provide development funding, it is unclear how the event will proceed at all.

It comes amid further disarray after it transpired hundreds of brochures — designed to attract government support — are to be destroyed because they contain inaccurate information. And with time running out for work to start, this latest twist has prompted furious opponents to demand sackings at the highest management level.

The financial difficulties facing the housing fair are contained in the minutes of a meeting of the Scottish parliamentary cross party group on architecture and the built environment at which there was a presentation by housing fair representatives including the board’s chairman, Councillor Jean Urquhart, and Susan Torrance, chief executive of the Highland Housing Alliance.

The December meeting also included discussion on the economic requirements for the fair to proceed.

Although the cost of the affordable houses will be met from housing association grants, the current economic climate has resulted in a reluctance from banks to fund individual private developers.

“Currently, plan A is to ask the Scottish Government to underwrite the costs and encourage the private finance sector to support the developers,” the minutes state. “No official application has been submitted to the government in this respect at present. It was not clear how the fair would proceed without this support.”

The minutes also summarise comments made by Ms Torrance. “The key message from her team is that they need some serious influence and support to persuade the banks to provide the development funding and allow the project to proceed,” it is reported.

Yesterday, however, she insisted the housing fair was going ahead and that infrastructure was already in place. “We are not applying for public money,” she said. “We are asking the government to steady the nerves of the banks.”

But opponents of the project, which has been dogged by controversy from the start, think the government should not support it, while some queried whether it would now go ahead. There was also continuing anger about a brochure showcasing the event which wrongly claimed the nearby Milton of Leys area had an array of shops, a school, pubs, church and sports facilities.

Councillor John Holden (Inverness South) described the brochure as “absolute fiction”.

“Heads should roll over this,” he declared. “This has to go to the top of the tree in relation to the Highland Housing Fair.”

He said the event, which was to be developed on designated green belt land, was tainted from day one. “I can never see a situation where I personally would support one more penny going to the housing fair,” he said. “I can never see it taking off.”

Mary Scanlon, Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP, who was present at last month’s parliamentary presentation, also questioned the management of the project.

“They have not worked with the community and their recent charm offensive at the Scottish Parliament was based on a brochure of lies and untruths,” she said. “I think the management of this project is rapidly losing credibility and trust from funders.

“The management of this housing fair is highly regrettable because I have not met anyone who does not support the idea of the housing fair of environmentally-friendly sustainable houses.”

v.sweeney@inverness-courier.co.uk

The developer was registered as the new owner of the land on 16th November 2006, two days after HHA lodged a planning application for the site on the southern edge of Inverness. It was transferred to HHA on 8th August, 2007.

The fair takes place in August 2009 and will showcase the best in housing design, innovation and technology. It has been dogged by controversy and the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman (SPSO) is currently investigating the conduct of Highland Council planning officials after an e-mail obtained by The Inverness Courier suggested they made up their minds about the planning application prior to the start of a public consultation exercise.

Now campaigners are calling for a full investigation.

"The whole affair is a public disgrace with no thought to the affect to the local community and, at the very least, the matter should be the subject of a full public inquiry," said Barrie Haycock, chairman of Planning Watch UK.

"Highland Council has driven a train through their own Local Plan and we have the unacceptable situation that Tulloch Homes has banked £500,000, as a direct consequence of the actions of the various factions involved."

The fair, the first of its kind in the UK, was due to take place in Smithon but the site was judged too small. More than 30 sites were then considered by HHA and developers approached before the site at Balvonie was chosen.

Although the land is designated as "green wedge", there was an indication made by the Reporter at the Inverness Local Plan Public Inquiry in 2004 that this could change in the future.

According to Susan Torrance, the alliance’s chief executive, Tulloch Homes started negotiations with the former land owner Derek Munro more than three years ago.

"I appreciate what it looks like, but it was not a matter of Tulloch making a quick buck," she said. "They had acquired the land and intended to hold onto it as long as it took to get it into the Local Plan. That is why they paid the money they did for it.

"This site was suggested to us by Tulloch very late on."

She said it would have been too risky for HHA to try and buy the land without planning permission, which was a condition of the sale. Developers were also unwilling to sell land zoned for housing, which she claimed would have cost the HHA between £4 million and £6 million.

Planning Watch UK chairman Barrie Haycock at the site of the Highland Housing Fair. Bobby Nelson

The price paid by HHA covers the 40-acre site as well as rights to services and an additional one acre, which will provide access. HHA will also contribute towards a new road linking Milton of Leys with the Inshes area.

"If I hand on heart thought we could have got a better deal for the site, I would have done that," Ms Torrance said. "It was the only option available to us."

A Tulloch spokesman stressed that missives of sale for the land were agreed long before HHA expressed an interest in the site, which the company had viewed as a long-term acquisition.

"Highland Council approached us the following year asking us to sell the site to them and after discussion we agreed to do so to assist them in their initiative," the spokesman explained. "The council simply could not have acquired housing land elsewhere so cheaply. The council received a real bargain and when the fair is complete the value will be several times more than the council paid for it."

But Tory MSP Mary Scanlon, who represents the Highlands and Islands, thinks the profit made by Tulloch Homes was "excessive" given the desperate need for cash elsewhere.

"Given that Highland Council has a debt of over £500 million, the profit within nine months for the housing fair land certainly does seem excessive. The payment for this land will simply add to the current debt, which is a burden on every council tax payer," she said.

The Highland Housing Alliance was set up in 2005 as a not-for-profit organisation to build more affordable and private homes. It is financed by the landbank fund, which is made up of monies from Highland Council and Communities Scotland.

One hundred homes will be built as part of the council-backed project, which will involve a month-long exhibition. It is expected to attract 30,000 visitors.

14th November 2006: Highland Housing Alliance applies for planning permission for the site at Balvonie Braes.
16th November 2006: Tulloch Homes is registered as the new owner of the land, for which it paid £850,000.
21st November 2006: An e-mail written by Nicola Drummond, a planning department team leader with Highland Council, is sent to Colin MacKenzie, principal planner in the council’s planning and development service, saying the application, although contrary to the Local Plan, would "obviously" be approved.
30th January 2007: Planning permission is granted.
8th August 2007: Highland Housing Alliance is registered as the new owner of the land, having bought it for £1.35 million.

h.paterson@inverness-courier.co.uk