Musings from the Merse
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
PLANNING IN INACTION
A masterclass in local planning methodology can be found in all its glory at http://eplanning1.scotborders.gov.uk/WAM/showCaseFile.do?appType=planning&appNumber=06/01476/OUT
This is about Fishwick. That traffic hotspot where the local laird has asked for planning permission to build six houses-outline planning permission that is. Step one is to build a new strip of road which not only bypasses the Fishwick conurbation of six or so former farm workers cottages thus removing their front doors from exposure to the constant roar of traffic and cutting out a fearsome corner used by at least twenty cars a day but also neatly slices through one of his fields thus creating a possible 'infill' site, for say, 6 houses. He needs to flog them as he is financing the road out of his own pocket and that will not be cheap.
Exhibit A The January 07 letter from the director of planning, Scottish Borders Council Mr Brian Frater. Thumbs up to the Road. No surprise there. He is getting a nice new bypass free. In the trade they call that Planning Gain. Good thing that. But oh dear for Farmer N's developmental ambitions Mr F says that 2 houses only on this site to comply with the usual regulations now re-enshrined in the Local Plan. That's real bad news for the Laird. Two houses will hardly pay for the new stretch of gleaming tarmac.
Long silence on the website but you can imagine the frantic negotiations with Farmer N and Messrs Edwin Thompson, the land agents, on the one hand and the stony faced, hard headed planning guys on the other. Come on guys be reasonable; brand new road, safety of Fishwickers ensured, dangerous corner removed; grandchildren safe to frolic on the verges and all we want in exchange is the whacking great profit that 6 house sites with outline planning permission will bring after paying for the new road. Safety and profit-there 's planning gain for you, writ large.
Exhibit B . Letter, dated February, from the agents summarising results of aforementioned wheelings and dealings. Looks like a wheeze to put all the houses together, resort like, so as to be near Fishwick itself which is in , planning speak, a 'recognised building block' But obviously this is not yet a done deal as the project was not discussed at the latest meeting of the Berwickshire Area Committee despite pleas by both Edwin and Thompson. And so far this has been dragging on for well over seven months.
If this goes through it will be an open invitation to local lairds to build nice new roads through
nice green fields, declare them unfit for farming and build like billy-oh in the nice large sites so conveniently created.
Is that the kind Planning Gain you really want, Mr Frater?
A masterclass in local planning methodology can be found in all its glory at http://eplanning1.scotborders.gov.uk/WAM/showCaseFile.do?appType=planning&appNumber=06/01476/OUT
This is about Fishwick. That traffic hotspot where the local laird has asked for planning permission to build six houses-outline planning permission that is. Step one is to build a new strip of road which not only bypasses the Fishwick conurbation of six or so former farm workers cottages thus removing their front doors from exposure to the constant roar of traffic and cutting out a fearsome corner used by at least twenty cars a day but also neatly slices through one of his fields thus creating a possible 'infill' site, for say, 6 houses. He needs to flog them as he is financing the road out of his own pocket and that will not be cheap.
Exhibit A The January 07 letter from the director of planning, Scottish Borders Council Mr Brian Frater. Thumbs up to the Road. No surprise there. He is getting a nice new bypass free. In the trade they call that Planning Gain. Good thing that. But oh dear for Farmer N's developmental ambitions Mr F says that 2 houses only on this site to comply with the usual regulations now re-enshrined in the Local Plan. That's real bad news for the Laird. Two houses will hardly pay for the new stretch of gleaming tarmac.
Long silence on the website but you can imagine the frantic negotiations with Farmer N and Messrs Edwin Thompson, the land agents, on the one hand and the stony faced, hard headed planning guys on the other. Come on guys be reasonable; brand new road, safety of Fishwickers ensured, dangerous corner removed; grandchildren safe to frolic on the verges and all we want in exchange is the whacking great profit that 6 house sites with outline planning permission will bring after paying for the new road. Safety and profit-there 's planning gain for you, writ large.
Exhibit B . Letter, dated February, from the agents summarising results of aforementioned wheelings and dealings. Looks like a wheeze to put all the houses together, resort like, so as to be near Fishwick itself which is in , planning speak, a 'recognised building block' But obviously this is not yet a done deal as the project was not discussed at the latest meeting of the Berwickshire Area Committee despite pleas by both Edwin and Thompson. And so far this has been dragging on for well over seven months.
If this goes through it will be an open invitation to local lairds to build nice new roads through
nice green fields, declare them unfit for farming and build like billy-oh in the nice large sites so conveniently created.
Is that the kind Planning Gain you really want, Mr Frater?
Comments:
Stop Press: Another letter from Edwin Thompson dated 15th March with a new plan for the proposed development attached.But it is not. Hidden from our sight. Not good enough
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