Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were intimated from Councillors Gordon Chalmers, Robin Currie, Vivien Dance, Mary-Jean Devon, Bruce Marshall, Neil Mackay, Alister MacAlister, James McQueen and Al Reay.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made.

Mr Charles Reppke, Head of Governance and Law, outlined the hearing procedure and invited anyone who wished to speak at the meeting to identify themselves and once that process had been completed the Chair invited the Planning Department to set out their recommendations.

Mr Peter Bain presented the case on behalf of the Head of Planning and Regulatory Services.  He advised that the planning application was for the installation of 9 hard standing areas for siting of holiday let/caravans, formation of new access and installation of treatment plant and partial soakaway on land south of Bellochantuy Cottages, Bellochantuy.  He also made reference to the planning history of the site which had a consent for 5 houses still live.  He advised that the original application had been for 10 hard standings and a site managers office and that this had been revised and reduced to 9 hard standings and the removal of the site managers office.  He confirmed that the site was located within the ‘settlement’ zone for Bellochantuy and was the subject of policy STRAT DC 1 of the approved structure plan and LP TOUR 1 of the adopted local plan and that these policies supported the principle of development of tourism development in the ‘settlement’ boundary subject to certain stipulations including size of the development and appropriateness of the site.  He advised that the proposal including landscaping belt to the north and west of the site which would secure the privacy of the residential dwellings to the north of the site.  He advised that apart from the Community Council, no objections had been received from the statutory consultees.  With regard to the access, he advised that the existing access from the A83 which serves the existing development to the north of the site would be used.   He advised that while the Roads Department had no objections they had stipulated a number of conditions and that these were numbered 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 as detailed in the Planning report.  He advised that condition 5 referred to 10 car parking spaces and that this should be amended to read 9 car parking spaces to reflect the adjustment made to the original application.  He advised that the proposal was the subject of objections from eight individuals and from the West Kintyre Community Council and that the reasons for these objections were summarised in the Planning report.  He referred in particular to the issue of flooding which had been raised by the objectors and highlighted to the Committee on a serious of slides the drainage arrangements which are in place on the site at the moment.  He referred to recent flooding and that this appeared to have been caused by a blocked culvert which he showed in a photograph.  He confirmed that he had spoken with SEPA and that they had confirmed that the site was out with the coastal flooding risk zone according the SEPA map.  SEPA had also confirmed they were not aware of any flooding issues in this area and that the likely cause would be surface water due to drainage issues.  Finally, Mr Bain referred to the proposed crossing area from the site to the beach and hotel which would be situated at the south east end of the site and that there would be good visibility to cross the road at this area.  He advised that notwithstanding the issues raised by the third parties and the Community Council he recommended approval of the planning application subject to the conditions detailed in the Planning report.

APPLICANT

The Applicant, Mr Malcolm MacDonald, advised that he was co-owner of the Bellochantuy Hotel and that he saw his proposal as assisting with the economical viability of the hotel and the life blood of the local community.  He advised that he had missed the first meeting of the Community Council when his application had been discussed but confirmed that his business partner had attended the second meeting and he hoped that a lot of the issues raised at this meeting had been addressed.  He referred to the flooding issue and advised that he had not been aware of a problem and that this would be addressed within his proposal.  He referred to his existing planning approval for the erection of 5 dwelling houses on the site. He advised that he had thought long and hard about what do with the site in the current economic climate and did not feel he could add anything further to what Planning had already said.

STATUTORY CONSULTEES

Mr James Ross, on behalf of the Roads Authority, commented on the road safety issues raised by the objectors and highlighted on the slides the proposed crossing point from the site to the beach and hotel.  He advised that there would be a hard standing on both sides of the road and that there would also be a pedestrian guard rail erected in a chicane type fashion on the side nearest the site.  He advised that on the beach side of the road  there would be a ramp down to the old A83 road and that the Applicant had agreed to clear this back and maintain it with a footway running down towards the hotel.  He advised that he was comfortable that there would be good visibility at the crossing area and that the Applicant had also been asked to erect ‘pedestrian in road ahead’ signs.  He referred to the possibility of a pedestrian access from the existing residential development into the north of the site and running along the west of site to the crossing area to enable the local residents of Bellochantuy to also walk safely to the crossing point.  He advised that he was not sure if the Applicant could consider this as this was not a condition that could be imposed on the application.

Mrs Lorraine MacPhail, on behalf of West Kintyre Community Council, advised that their main issue  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.