Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Daniel Hampsey and Paul Kennedy.

There were no declarations of interest.

Report by Head of Development and Economic Growth

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting, which 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 was no one else in attendance today that wished to speak.

 

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

 

 

PLANNING

 

On behalf of the Head of Development and Economic Growth, Fiona Scott, Planning Officer, made the following presentation with the aid of power point slides.

 

SLIDE 1

 

This application is seeking to secure planning permission for the erection of a cafe with incidental ‘drive-thru’ takeaway facility and associated landscaping including a viewpoint, seating, interpretive signage and play park on an area of land to the west of Inverlusragan, Connel.

 

SLIDE 2

 

This slide shows an extract from the adopted ‘Local Development Plan’ showing the application site within the defined Minor Settlement Zone of Connel shown in pink.

 

The site is overlain with blue hatching which delineates an Open Space Protection Area designation, which I will reference as OSPA for the purposes of this presentation.  The OSPA is the hatched area limited to the coastal strip with the opposite diagonal hatching denoting the extent of Loch Etive.

 

SLIDE 3

 

This slide shows a further extract from the ‘Local Development Plan’ showing the network of OSPAs in blue hatching along the shore side of Connel adjacent to Loch Etive.

 

SLIDE 4

 

This slide shows the site and location plan submitted with the application. 

 

The site is served by a central access point spurring from the A85 Trunk Road, with the proposed café building contained along the eastern boundary of the site, and the parking and turning provision to the west. 

 

The proposed play park, viewpoint, seating and interpretive signage is proposed within the north-eastern corner of the site.

 

SLIDE 5

 

This slide shows the elevations of the proposed café building along with some perspective views showing a contemporary designed, mono-pitch roofed structure finished in a natural stone cladding with elements of white render and a dark metal roof.

 

SLIDE 6

 

This slide shows a photomontage submitted with the application giving an indication of how the development will appear within the site.

 

The following slides show some images of the application site.

 

 

 

SLIDE 7

 

This slide shows a view of the proposed access point into the site from the A85 Trunk Road.

 

SLIDE 8

 

This slide shows a view of the site from the A85 Trunk Road with the neighbouring dwellinghouse Inverlusragan visible centrally within this view.

 

SLIDE 9

 

This slide shows a view of the site from the public footway adjacent to the A85 Trunk Road.

 

SLIDE 10

 

This slide shows a view from within the site looking out towards Loch Etive.

 

SLIDE 11

 

This slide shows a further view from within the site looking back towards Connel Bridge.

 

SLIDE 12

 

This slide shows a view of the site from the North Connel/Bonawe public road with the red arrow indicating the position of the site.

 

SLIDE 13

 

This final slide shows an aerial view of the site overlaid with the application site boundary.

 

SUMMARY

 

To conclude, in summary, the determining factor in the assessment of this application is whether the proposed café development is consistent with the provisions of the adopted National Planning Framework 4 as underpinned by the Local Development Plan and the emerging Local Development Plan 2.

 

As set out in the Report of Handling before Members, the OSPA within which the development is proposed, has been designated to provide visual amenity functions by helping preserve the open aspect on the seaward side of the A85 Trunk Road and with it, public views across Loch Etive. 

 

The primary purpose of the OSPA is to preserve the remaining open land adjacent to the Trunk Road and to protect it from built development, in acknowledgement of the fact that these open areas are a key component of the landscape character of Connel and are an important part of the local distinctiveness of the settlement.

 

These OSPAs, including the one the subject of the current planning application, were introduced at the request of the community at the time of the adoption of the 2009 Local Development Plan following appeal refusal decisions for residential development on adjacent land.

 

The OSPAs followed through into the current 2015 Local Development Plan and are proposed to continue into the emerging Local Development Plan 2, a proposal that received no objections following public consultation and one that is supported by the Scottish Government and expects to be adopted as part of the new Development Plan in due course.

 

The development the subject of this application would introduce built development and infrastructure into a greenfield site, which has been designated as an OSPA for its visual amenity functions, resulting in an adverse environmental impact eroding the open aspect of the site and the associated public views across it, thereby materially harming the open, visual landscape character of this part of Connel, and eroding the local distinctiveness of the settlement to an unacceptable extent, whilst undermining the OSPA designation of the site and setting a harmful precedent for the remaining coastal OSPA land, contrary to the provisions of National Planning Framework 4 and adopted and emerging Local Development Plan Policy.

 

It is recommended that planning permission for this proposal be refused – thank you.

 

APPLICANT

 

Shaun Sinclair

 

Mr Sinclair gave the following presentation:

 

Good morning and thank you for allowing me to discuss by application with you.

 

I have submitted this application to provide employment in the village and to ensure a future for my children and grandchildren in this community.

 

Kirsty is my daughter and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.