Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Graham Archibald Hardie and Donald MacMillan.

Councillor Kieron Green declared a non-financial interest in the Bute Islands Food Ltd planning application reference 20/01441/P as a family member worked for the company.  He left the meeting at this point and took no part in the consideration of this application.

Report by Head of Development and Economic Growth

The Chair welcomed everyone to the hearing which was being held on a virtual basis in light of government guidance and Coronavirus legislation on public gatherings in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.  For the purposes of the sederunt, Mr 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 that they would make presentations to the Committee.  Mr Jackson read out the names of those representatives and asked them to confirm their attendance.

 

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

 

PLANNING

 

The Planning Officer presented the application as follows on behalf of the Head of Development and Economic Growth.

 

This hearing is considering an application for the erection of a food production facility at a site adjacent to the junction of Barone Road and Meadows Road in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. The proposal also involves the use of the existing access onto Meadows Road; the provision of 78 vehicle parking spaces within the confines of the site; the installation of a Sustainable Drainage storage system; and connection to the existing public water supply and public sewerage system.

 

As a physical visit to the site is not being held in association with the hearing, I thought that it would be useful to begin my presentation with some images and photographs to assist in an appreciation of the site and its surroundings.

 

Slide No. 3 is an aerial image that shows the application site outlined in red. 

 

To the immediate north of the site, as shown in Slide No. 4, is Sheriff’s Croft, which is a small residential development consisting of a terrace of four dwellinghouses and a detached dwelling.

 

Back to aerial image on Slide No. 5 and the land to the north-east.

 

Slide No. 6 shows the modern factory unit and the former Cotton Mill buildings that accommodate Bute Fabrics

 

The aerial image on Slide No. 7 shows that the land to the east and south-east of the site are Council yards and the rear of McKirdy’s Haulage yard. Members will note from the roofs that this image shows that these buildings are industrial in nature.

 

Slide No. 8 shows the allotments to the south of the site with Slide No. 9 looking in a southerly direction along Meadows Road from the access to the site.

 

Back to the aerial image on Slide No. 10 and the land to the south-west of the site over Meadows Road is part of the Bute Business Park.

 

In Slide No. 11, the wooded western edge of the site is on the right hand side of the photograph with Barone Road running along this boundary of the site and residential properties beyond.

 

These preceding slides have provided information and images of the land adjacent to the application site and the following slides will highlight the current appearance of the land.

 

Slide No. 12 shows the gated entrance to the site when viewed in a northerly direction with one’s back to Meadows Road.

 

Slides 13, 14 and 15 are taken from the gate and looking northwards over the inside of the site.

 

As Members will note, the interior of the site has become significantly overgrown since it was cleared approximately 15 years ago.

 

Slide No. 16 reminds us in plan form of the location of the site (which is outlined in red) within its wider surroundings.  Slide No. 17 focusses on the details of the application.

 

The proposal involves the erection of a food production facility by Bute Island Foods who, with its product Sheese, has established itself as a market leader of manufacturing vegan and dairy free cheese.  It produces a large range of award winning dairy free vegan alternatives.

 

The building (shown in white on the slide) would be located in the north-eastern quarter of the site and would incorporate the main production factory on the ground floor with reception, office and welfare facilities in a partial upper floor. A gross floor space of approximately 3900 square metres would be created and the external dimensions of the building would measure 63 metres in length x 43 metres in width x 12 metres in height (ground floor level of building to ridge level of building).

 

In addition to the main building, the proposal identifies:

 

§  The use of the existing access onto Meadows Road to accommodate all traffic

 

§  The continuation of the existing footway on Barone Road along the south-western corner of the site and on to the access (indicated by orange hatching on the slide)

 

§  The provision of a total of 78 parking spaces within the site – 31 to be located to the west of the building and 47 to the south of the building

 

§  The retention of the majority of the trees and vegetation around the boundaries of the site but with some tidying and clearing where required

 

Slide No. 18 shows the four elevations of the proposed building. The agent’s ‘Design Statement’ indicates that this would be a steel framed building with metal-clad insulated panelling. The windows have been positioned to relate to the internal rooms whilst a translucent band of cladding runs the full length of the elevation to allow diffused daylight throughout the first floor spaces. It is envisaged that green will be the basis for the colour scheme but the Statement also advises that specific tones and colours would be subject to the applicant’s confirmation of samples.

 

As a reminder, the application has received objections from 74 sources; support from 36 sources; and a petition in favour of the proposal containing 100 signatures. The points of objection, representation and support are summarised in the main report and two supplementary reports. In the context of an application on the Isle of Bute, the number of contributors is relatively significant.

 

Rothesay is one of the main towns of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.