Issue - meetings

Report by Head of Development and Economic Growth

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting which was being held on a hybrid basis.  For the purposes of the sederunt Iain Jackson, Clerk to the Committee today, read out the names of the Members of the Committee and asked them to confirm their attendance.

 

In advance of the meeting today interested parties confirmed they would make presentations to the Committee.  Mr Jackson read out the names of those representatives and asked them to confirm their attendance.  Mr Jackson also clarified that there were no others in attendance today that wished to speak.

 

The Chair, having explained the hearing procedure that would be followed, invited the Planning Officer to present the case.

 

PLANNING

 

On behalf of the Head of Development and Economic Growth, Sandra Davies, Major Applications Team Leader, made the following presentation with the aid of power point slides.

 

Slide 1: PPSL Front Sheet

 

Slide 2: Title and Location Plan

 

This application is for the formation of a new fish farm off the east coast of Kintyre.  The site is located in the Kilbrannan Sound about 10km north of Carradale and to the north of Cour Bay.

 

Slide 3 Proposed Site Plan

 

The fish farm would have 12 circular cages with each cage measuring 120m circumference in a 2x6 grid along with a feed barge. 

 

Slide 4 Plans and Elevations

 

The cages would be low in profile and finished in a dark, non- reflective material.  This shows the plans and elevations of the proposed cage group.

 

Slide 5 Typical Pen Design

 

This plan shows a typical pen design with pole mounted top nets.

 

Slide 6 Feed Barge

 

Here are the drawings for the proposed feed barge which has the design of a marine vessel. 

 

The site would be serviced from the existing shore base at Carradale Harbour which already serves Mowi’s fish farms Carradale North and South.

 

Slide 7 (Environmental Impact Assessment Front Cover)

 

An Environmental Impact Assessment has been carried out in relation to this application.  The EIA process looks at the significant effects of a project on the environment.  As with any other type of planning application, the legislation requires that the proposals be assessed against the policies of the development plan. If the proposal accords with these policies then the development should be approved unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

 

Slide 8 (NPF4 and LDP front covers)

 

The Development Plan comprises National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) adopted February 2023 and the Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan adopted 2015.

 

Slide 9: NPF 4 Policy 32

 

NPF4 should be read as a whole and is based around six overarching spatial principles which the proposed development should comply.  Part 2 of NPF 4 contains 33 policies and the report of handling for this application details those which would apply to the proposed development.

 

A number of NPF4 policies apply to this development, however, the prime policy for aquaculture is policy 32.  This policy makes it clear that LDPs should guide new aquaculture development in line with National and Regional Marine Plans.  They should minimise environmental impacts, including cumulative impacts that arise from other existing and planned aquaculture development in the area whilst also reflecting industry needs.  Policy 32 requires the consideration of a set of criteria which are similar to those covered the LDP aquaculture policy AQUA 1.  I have highlighted these criteria in bold on the slide.

 

Slide 10 – Policy AQUA 1

 

This is policy AQUA 1 from the adopted LDP showing the eight criteria which require to be assessed in the determination of this application.

 

Since this application was presented to the PPSL committee in May, Argyll and Bute Council’s proposed Local Development Plan 2 (pLDP2) has gained enhanced status as this has been returned to the Council following the Examination process. 

 

Supplementary Report no. 3 has therefore assessed proposal against the relevant pLDP2 policies.  Following this process it has been concluded that there would be no substantive change to the policy assessment of the proposal.

 

Landscape / Seascape and Visual Amenity 

 

Returning to the adopted LDP, AQUA 1 is a criteria based policy which relates specifically to marine and freshwater aquaculture. The application has been assessed against each of the eight criteria and found to comply with the plan.  I will go through each of these criteria in turn.

 

Slide 11 ZTV Slide

 

The first criteria to be considered under this policy relates to landscape / seascape and visual amenity. A landscape and visual appraisal has been included with the EIAR. 

 

The proposed fish farm would be located off a small promontory named Rubha Riabhach which is located beyond a rocky shoreline.  The site is theoretically visible to a wide extent from both the north and the south with the views to the 2west curtailed by the promontory.  The current slide shows the Zone of Theoretical Visibility or ZTV with the view points locations marked. There are clear views from the Kilbrannan Sound and distant views from the Isle of Arran.  The EIAR notes that the location of Rubha Riabhach is remote from residential properties and outwith sightlines of adjacent Crossaig and Cour.  It is further noted that the coastline of Arran is sufficiently far away to diminish views.

 

The B842 runs north from Campbeltown to Cloanaig.  This is a single track road which moves in and out from the coastline due to topography.  In places there are elevated views across the Kilbrannan Sound toward Arran and Ailsa Craig.  The road is also designated as long distance cycle path (NCN 78) and core path. The closest dwellings to the proposed fish farm can be found at Cour and Crossaig at distances between 1km and 1.5km.

 

The SLVIA notes that the key seascape and landscape characteristics of the area are the remote and indented coastline, the narrowing of the Kilbrannan Sound and proximity to Arran, where the low hills of Kintyre contrast with the drama of the rugged Arran skyline. The gentle landscape of the area and clustered settlement pattern, with strong links to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3