Issue - meetings

Report by Head of Planning and Regulatory Services

The Chair welcomed everyone present to the meeting and introductions were made.  He asked those that wished to speak at the hearing to identify themselves and outlined the procedure that would be followed during the meeting.

PLANNING

Richard Kerr advised that the application was for an extension to the existing fish farm at Strone, Loch Striven.  He advised that the current site consisted of 8 cages and a small feed barge.  He showed the site in the context of the Local Plan advising that it was adjacent to a rural opportunity area and an area of panoramic quality.  Mr Kerr advised that the site was currently operated in tandem with the applicant’s existing site at Ardyne.  He showed the location of the mooring area displaying the existing cages in black and the proposed cages in red, explaining that currently there was a ten grid unit with 8 occupied cages in two groups separated by 2 unoccupied grid squares.  He advised that the proposal was to occupy the unoccupied grid squares and add 4 more cages to the north end of the site.  He advised that this would displace the feed barge by 120m north.  Mr Kerr advised that the addition of these cages would double the biomass of the site and that SEPA were content with this having already issue a CAR licence.  He showed a further slide showing the construction of the cages and advised of the underwater lighting that would be used.  Mr Kerr told the Committee that the feed barge was currently an unsympathetic colour and a condition would be attached to any approval requesting that the feed barge be painted a more sympathetic colour to its surroundings.  Mr Kerr showed the Committee a number of photographs showing the existing site from various angles and then photomontages of the proposal and how the additional cages would sit at the end of the existing site.  Mr Kerr advised that in terms of statutory consultees there had been no objections with the exception of Colintraive and Glendaruel Community Council and the Clyde Fishermen’s Association.  He advised that in terms of representations there had been 36 of support and 11 of objection.  Mr Kerr then advised of late representations that had been received; one objection stating that a number of supporters were employees of the Scottish Salmon Company and 2 letters of support -  Loch Fyne Oysters, Cairndow and Innes Ross Ltd, Alloa.  He advised that the proposal did not give rise to any adverse landscape, visual, nature conservation, wild fish, amenity or navigation concerns or prejudice sea fishing interests; and therefore was recommended for approval subject to the conditions and reasons as set out in the report of handling.

APPLICANTS

Mark Edmonds advised that the application was for an extension to their existing site and that the social benefits that had been outlined during the hearing in the morning applied to this application also.  He told the Committee that due to the fact that this was a minor modification to the existing site there would be no requirement for an environmental impact assessment but they had been advised to consider some specific areas which he would later outline.  He advised that the application had been assessed and approved by statutory consultees, that there had been no statutory objections and that the application had been recommended for approval by Planning Officers.  Mr Edmonds outlined the specific areas SSC had been advised to consider as the sustainable carrying capacity of the loch, effective treatment strategies which SEPA had been satisfied with; independent equipment attestations and land and visual assessments.  Mr Edmonds highlighted that the existing site had an excellent track record.  He advised that staff were a mixture of both experience and youth; that the site was established and the infrastructure already in place in terms of a shore site; and was in an excellent location for farming.  He made reference to the fact that there had been no seals shot on site and that there had been little requirement for sea lice treatment.  He added that both the Strone and Ardyne sites had been classified as excellent in SEPA’s Compliance Assessment Scheme.  He urged the Committee to support the application.

CONSULTEES

Michael Kaufman of Colintraive and Glendaruel Community Council began by saying that the Community Council’s objection was to the cumulative effects from this application and from the application for a new site considered and approved at the hearing that morning.  He made reference to the number of letters of support and objection submitted and advised the Committee that at a recent Community Council meeting the application had been discussed where almost 30 people had attended and had objected to the proposal.  He advised that this was an important consideration for the Committee.  Mr Kaufmann referred to the plans that had been provided for both the hearing meetings and advised that neither map had shown both the applications and their close proximity and questioned if it had been intentional not to show the cumulative effect of both on the one map.  He said that the proposal would impinge on the view from the hills, damage the loch and damage the visual amenity.  He concluded by quoting a line from the Planning Officers report which said the planning of the two sites was indivisible.

SUPPORTERS

Katrina Frankitti advised that she worked for Innes Ross Ltd which was a small rural business.  She advised that she travelled around schools and communities promoting the ‘Fish for Health’ project and that she worked closely with the Scottish Salmon Company.  They would invite her to accompany them to events and vice versa.  She advised that the Scottish Salmon Company do care about communities and that she could not do what she does without the support of the industry.  She asked that the Committee seriously consider the proposal and approve the application.

Stuart Simon advised that he had worked in fish farming for 6 years and that he currently resided just around the corner from Ardyne.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3