Local Plan public inquiry set for Autumn
Monday, February 27 2006
A public local inquiry into the Scottish Borders Finalised Local Plan is expected this Autumn. An independent Reporter, Mr Richard Hickman, will consider all the objections to the Plan and report back to Scottish Borders Council on his findings.
In the first stage of the process, the Reporter will hold a pre-Inquiry meeting at 6.30 pm on 25 April 2005 in the Volunteer Hall in Galashiels. This is a change from the previous suggested date of 14 March and will allow discussion of the format and timing of the Inquiry. All objectors have been individually contacted regarding the revised date.
SBC Director of Planning and Economic Development, Ian Lindley explained that the purpose of the pre-Inquiry meeting is to decide how best to run the process. "The meeting is to discuss with the Reporter how to group the objections, decide broadly in what order they will be considered and consider where the Inquiry sessions will be held. The Reporter will try to hold the Inquiry in different locations to make it more convenient for people to attend," he said.
"As for the Inquiry itself, in practice Councils find that the vast majority of objectors will opt for written submissions, particularly when they learn that the Reporter will give these equal weight to objections heard through the formal Inquiry or Hearing. However, the meeting will also look at cases where a more informal, round-table Hearing might be used in preference to the Inquiry, as it involves no cross examination and less paperwork for participants."
Around 1,500 individual representations have been received, many on the same issues. These include the regeneration and expansion of Newtown St Boswells, the supermarket site in Kelso and housing sites in the Central Borders, particularly Netherbarns, Crotchetknowe and Easter Langlee in Galashiels, Chiefswood Road in Darnick and the Croft in Melrose. There are also objections to the proposed employment site at Broomilees adjacent to the Borders General Hospital. A report on all the individual objections is targeted for the Council by the end of May indicating the officers' recommended response.
Last week the Council was formally notified by the Scottish Executive that it was successful in gaining an exemption specifically for the Local Plan from the provisions for the Strategic Environmental Assessment brought in as a result of a European Directive. This means that there is no longer any impediment to the Council adopting its Local Plan, once the Inquiry is over.
Ian Lindley explained that the decision involved the Scottish Executive examining the actions the Council had taken to consult the public and to subject the Plan to environmental scrutiny. He said, "The fact that the Council has been successful in gaining an exemption reflects the significant consultation that we have carried out as well as the integrated manner in which environmental impacts have been dealt with."
For information about the Local Plan, please contact the plans and policy team on 01835 826511 or online
Notes for Editors
1. The Finalised Scottish Borders Local Plan was published on 13 December 2005. The closing date for objections was 31 January 2006.
2. The independent reporter is employed by the Scottish Executive Independent Reporters Unit (SEIRU). The Reporter, Mr Richard Hickman, will hear all objections and prepare a report for the Council following the conclusion of the Inquiry. It is the Council's decision whether to accept the Reporter's recommendations for inclusion in its adopted Plan.
3. The Council is required to continue to process and determine planning applications during the preparation of a new local plan. To assist this process in regard to housing proposals, the Council has already produced an Interim Housing Policy to provide an appropriate framework. The Interim Housing Policy is operated primarily to ensure that there continues to be the required five-year supply of effective housing land within the area's housing market areas as set out in Scottish Planning Policy guidance.
4. The provisions for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) are set out in the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Scotland) Regulations 2004. This legislation arose from European Directive 2001/42/EC which requires that any plans started before July 2004, but not adopted until after 21 July 2006, will be subject to assessment. The Scottish Executive has a process in place to consider requests for exemptions.
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