Issue - meetings

Report by Head of Planning and Regulatory Services

The Head of Planning and Regulatory Services spoke to the terms of the report advising that this retrospective application related to the retention of a timber building for office use within the curtilage of category B listed Dunans Castle for a period of 36 months.  The application site sits within Sensitive Countryside in the adopted Local Plan.  Structure Plan policy STRAT DC 5 would normally require an Area Capacity Evaluation (ACE) to be undertaken.  An ACE has not been carried out in this case as the building is small scale, only for a temporary period and does not have a significant impact on its surroundings.  Reference was made to one objection that had been received.  Following the service of an enforcement notice, retention of the building until September 2017 has been allowed on appeal and no purpose would be served by the refusal of permission to retain the building for 36 months, as requested.  It was therefore recommended that planning permission be granted as a ‘minor departure’ to development plan policy subject to the conditions and reasons numbered 1 and 2 detailed in the report and an amendment to condition and reason number 3.

Decision

Agreed to grant planning permission as a ‘minor departure’ to development plan policy subject to the following conditions and reasons:-

1.        The development shall be implemented in accordance with the approved drawings:

·       1:10000 Location Office

·       1:2500 Location Office

·       1:500 Location Office

·       1:50 Plan view

·       1:100 Northeast and southwest elevations

·       1:100 Southeast and northwest elevations

unless the prior written approval of the planning authority is obtained for an amendment to the approved details under Section 64 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

Reason: For the purpose of clarity, to ensure that the development is implemented in accordance with the approved details.

2.        This permission shall cease on or before 31 August 2017 and immediately thereafter the building hereby permitted shall be removed from the site and the land restored to an equivalent condition to that of the land surrounding the development site.

Reason: To safeguard the long term setting of the Category B listed building, Dunans Castle

3.        Notwithstanding the provisions of Class 4 (Business Use) of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order 1997 (as amended), the subject building shall be used solely for administrative purposes associated with the management and restoration of Dunans Castle and the related ‘Scottish Laird’ business operated by the applicant and for no other purpose.

Reason: To underpin the locational need accepted in the granting of this temporary permission. 

(Reference: Report by Head of Planning and Regulatory Services dated 9 October 2014, submitted)