Letter of Objection sent from Kilmaronock
Community Council
14 May 2011
Ms K Sweeney
The Planning Department
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park
Carrochan
Carrochan Road
Balloch G83 8EG
Dear Ms Sweeney
Application Number: 2011/0062/PPP
Proposed Erection of Residential Development at Gartocharn
Thank you for your letter of 27th April 2011 together with enclosures.
This application was discussed at the Kilmaronock Community Council meeting held on the evening of 9th May 2011 in the Kilmaronock Millennium Hall. The applicant and his agent gave a short presentation, which was followed by questions from our Members and the public in attendance, together with relevant discussion, all through the chair. About 80 people attended, including three residing outwith the community.
After the end of the discussion a show of hands was requested to give councillors an indication of the feelings of the community: 3 were in favour (those residing outwith the community), 5 abstained, and approximately 72 were against. All seven Members were in attendance and all indicated they were against the proposal.
Accordingly Kilmaronock Community Council wishes to strongly object to this planning application. The grounds for objection to the proposal can be summarised as follows (policy references are in respect of the NP Finalised Draft Local Plan unless otherwise stated):
National Park Aims
The first statutory aim for National Parks as set out in The National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 is ' to conserve the natural and cultural heritage of the area'. The Act also notes that if it appears that there is any conflict of aims then this first aim takes precedence. Given the existing surroundings of the application area the natural heritage of the site and its surroundings would be permanently damaged by this proposal.
Additionally aim three of the Act is ' to promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public'. The proposal site lies adjacent to the Kilmaronock Millennium Hall and will share access with the Aber Walk public footpath, such that there is little doubt that the enjoyment of the public attending the various events and activities held at the Hall and enjoying the Aber Walk and other local paths will be significantly adversely affected by this proposal.
The proposal is therefore not in accordance with Policy NP1.
Landscape and Visual Impact
The proposal site lies within a National Scenic Area to which an overriding priority should be given to its conservation and enhancement. This proposal is considered to breach this key aim. Policy L1 requires that development proposals “conserve and enhance the special qualities of the Park and demonstrate that.... (b) they safeguard views, viewpoints and landmarks from development that would detract from their visual integrity, identity or scenic quality”. The scenic view looking to the north from the Millennium Hall is an iconic view enjoyed by the public, and which our community considers must be safeguarded. This development proposal therefore clearly fails the test of this key policy.
Village Envelope and Housing Policy
The proposal is contrary to the policy provisions of the current Dumbarton District Local Plan, being outwith the defined 'village envelope'.
The Community Council also considers the proposal to be contrary to Policy HOUS1 in this respect, in that it is located both outwith the village envelope and any allocated site for new housing. Housing policies within the Finalised Draft Local Plan in particular have evolved after much consultation, including consultation with the local community on potential areas or ‘allocated sites’ for new housing. In terms of HOUS3 New Housing
Development Adjacent to Settlements, the proposal clearly breaches provisions b) and c) as it is neither located within an appropriate landscape setting nor is it of an appropriate scale to the size of the host community. The proposal therefore does not accord with this policy.
Reference is also made to the NP Local Background report ‘Drymen and Gartocharn Landscape Capacity Assessment of February 2010. This independent report examines potential housing sites around Gartocharn none of which are at the location of this proposal.
Future Viability of Kilmaronock Millennium Hall
The Millennium Hall in Gartocharn is a successful community venture now in its twelfth year. It has become a social hub for the village and gathering place for local clubs and classes, and is also hired out for private parties and weddings. The income thus generated is carefully managed to cover its running costs and anticipated maintenance costs, and thus underpins its future success.
A key to the Hall’s popularity is its landscape setting and its views to the north, such that this development proposal will significantly detract from these special qualities of the Hall, and could therefore have an adverse effect on its future economic viability. In particular the Community Council does not consider that the location and layout of the proposed development does not address this key concern.
Loss of Amenity
The proposal would grossly impinge on the amenity of local adjacent properties within the village, in particular the Millennium Hall whose strategic location and design takes advantage of the entire panorama to the north of Gartocharn for the enjoyment of all.
Noise
If the proposal were to succeed noise would be an issue in relation to the Hall, both to the new residents from the not infrequent late night functions, and vice-versa noise from uphill traffic and the new properties affecting the Hall.
Traffic – Health & Safety
Notwithstanding that the WDC traffic department may have indicated that the proposal can be made to be technically compliant, common sense in examining the details on the ground clearly indicate that large vehicles would have extreme difficulty manoeuvering. More significantly however from a safety perspective the village hall is heavily used, including especially by children and the elderly, and with the car park and access to most other parts of the village meaning the access road to the development would have heavy pedestrian usage, safety of hall users as well as those using the adjacent church facilities would be greatly compromised. Additionally there is no existing footpath at this location.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish clarification on any of the above.
Yours sincerely,
for and on behalf of Kilmaronock Community Council,
Willie Roxburgh
Chair.