Latest news with #PlanningandPlacemakingCommittee
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Perth and Kinross councillor calls for urgent review of national planning policy on retail developments
The Planning and Placemaking Committee convener believes the current policy on retail developments "lacks coherence" and risks "stifling competition" Perth and Kinross Council's (PKC) planning convener has written to the Scottish Government saying there is an "urgent need" for a review of national planning policy regarding retail. SNP councillor Ian Massie - who wrote to Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee on behalf of PKC's Planning and Placemaking Committee - said the current policy "lacks coherence" and "will not strengthen town centre High Streets". Cllr Massie's committee requested he write the letter after councillors approved a new Lidl supermarket on Perth's Crieff Road, going against the council officers' recommendation of refusal which was based on national policy. On Wednesday, March 12 councillors voted by nine votes to two to grant Lidl permission to invest £10 million building a second Perth store and creating over 30 jobs. They rejected council officers' recommendation to refuse the application, arguing the development would give residents "more choice" and supported the National Planning Framework 4's (NPF4) 20-minute neighbourhoods. The only objector to the application was Tesco, which has a store on the other side of McDiarmid Park from the proposed Lidl site. At the March meeting, convener Ian Massie pledged to write to Scotland's Public Finance Minister raising the committee's concerns about the conflicting national planning policy. In response to a request from the Local Democracy Reporting Service, PKC this week shared both Cllr Massie's letter and the response he received from Ivan McKee MSP. In his letter, Cllr Massie said the current policy could result in "stifling competition". Referring to the committee's decision over the Lidl application, he wrote: "The officers' recommendation was for refusal on the grounds that it did not meet Policy 28: (a) and (c) as it was not located in an existing city, town or local centre, nor was it in an edge of centre area, or an allocated site within the LDP; (b) was not applicable as it did not meets the terms of (a); and also (c) Small scale neighbourhood development because the proposal could not be classed as small scale. "Whilst the committee agreed the criteria for Policy 28 (a) and (c) had not been met they went against officers' advice and granted permission stating that the application should be supported because it would provide over 30 jobs in the local area, help families on limited income afford more with what income they have and aligns with the Scottish Government's approach to 20-minute neighbourhoods , as outlined through Policy 15 of NPF4." He called for planning policy to meet the "specific needs of our communities". The Perth City North ward councillor added: "Currently, the framework for Policy 28 lacks coherence on several crucial aspects, including the balance between High Street regeneration, out-of-town developments, and the promotion of sustainable practices within retail. However fundamentally, there is the lack of a specific reference to what floorspace thresholds should be deemed to define what is small scale neighbourhood development. "Unless there is an early review of the retail policy of NPF4 the likelihood is that the current policy will result in the planning system in Scotland stifling competition in this sector. This will favour those operators who secured consents for out-of-town centre sites over the last 20 years to the detriment of newer and possibly more innovative operators. It will not strengthen town centre High Streets. This is not 'good planning'. " Ivan McKee thanked Cllr Massie for his letter and said the intent of the national planning policy was "to encourage, promote and facilitate retail investment to the most sustainable locations that are most accessible by a range of sustainable transport modes". The Minister for Public Finance said there were a "range of factors" which need to be considered in planning assessments and there were no plans to review the policy. Mr McKee said: " There is no scheduled review of NPF4 at this time, however it is helpful to have your input on the effectiveness of NPF4 policies and I am grateful to you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us."
Daily Record
19-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Battery energy storage system on prime agricultural land approved by Perth and Kinross councillors
Perth and Kinross councillors unanimously approved the plans subject to a safety plan given its proximity to the railway The development of a 49.9MW battery energy storage system on prime agricultural land in Perthshire has been given the go-ahead due to it being deemed "essential infrastructure". Consent for the latest Abernethy energy plant is however subject to various planning conditions and informatives including the submission of a Battery Safety Management Plan to Network Rail and adequate fire safety measures. The plans - recommended by planning officers for approval - were granted consent by councillors at a meeting of Perth and Kinross Council's Planning and Placemaking Committee on Wednesday, April 14. Opdenergy UK 12 Ltd submitted plans to Perth and Kinross Council to develop the Perthshire village's latest battery energy storage system. The company - registered in Burnham, Buckinghamshire - is run by Spaniards Luis Cid and Abraham Morales, who are part of Opdenergy which has a growing global portfolio of renewable projects. The site is located on part of an arable field - currently in use - at Balgonie Farm, east of Abernethy and 300m west of the existing Abernethy substation. Last year, planning permission was granted for two other 49.9 MW battery energy storage systems to the east of the substation. At Wednesday's meeting, Conservative councillor Keith Allan questioned the loss of prime agricultural land for the development and asked: "Are we happy to lose that?" PKC's Major Applications and Enforcement team leader Sean Panton said: "Yes, it is prime agricultural land. However, NPF4 [National Planning Framework 4) policy five allows for an exception of prime land when it is essential infrastructure and this proposal does constitute essential infrastructure." The report - put before councillors - said the footprint of the project had shrunk by 40 per cent since the pre-application notice was submitted and "it is fully anticipated that, by the time that the proposed BESS is commissioned in 2027, further advances in BESS technology will result in a further reduction in the overall footprint of the development, and therefore, less of an uptake of prime agricultural land". Network Rail initially objected to the proposal and requested additional information in order to fully assess the impact the development would have on the adjacent railway which runs from Perth to Edinburgh. Having reviewed the additional information, Network Rail requested Opdenergy UK 12 submit a site-specific Battery Safety Management Plan, further fire safety information and a surface and foul water drainage scheme. Cllr Richard Watters questioned how these matters would or were being addressed. Mr Panton explained a further planning condition would be needed, if approved, which was missing from the report put before councillors. He said: "The condition would be that they would need to submit a site-specific battery safety management plan which would identify proposed fire detection systems being installed and how that would relate to the railway line." Moving the plans for approval, Kinross-shire SNP councillor Richard Watters - who convenes PKC's Climate Change and Sustainability Committee - said: "We do need that security for energy supply. It does provide a really good one and we've got solar and energy from waste that will be in that area soon enough. "I think having the ability to store that energy when there is surplus on the go and use it when maybe the wind isn't blowing or Scottish winter doesn't have that much sunshine, I think it's important we have these applications coming forward. "There is a concern with the prime agricultural land but the really good thing is the technology is allowing the footprint of it to get smaller." The plans were seconded by SNP councillor Ken Harvey and unanimously approved by the committee, subject to conditions.
Daily Record
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Jeanfield Swifts' £2.4 million plans to upgrade training facilities
The Perth-based community club has 25 teams and over 450 players aged six to over 60, with over a third being female Jeanfield Swifts Football Club is drawing up plans for an ambitious £2.4 million development of its training facilities at Riverside Stadium on Perth's Bute Drive. The club's aim is to create "an accessible destination for football participants throughout the city". The North Muirton-based community club has submitted a proposal of application notice to Perth and Kinross Council to create two full-size synthetic pitches and add seating, paths, landscaping and fencing. Councillors were given the chance to raise areas for consideration - as part of the planning process - at a meeting of the Planning and Placemaking Committee on Wednesday, May 14. Two public consultations on the plans were held at Riverside Stadium last month. Earlier this year, Perth and Kinross Council committed £100,000 towards the project and £300,000 has been secured from the Jeanfield Swifts Football Club Endowment Trust. Last month the community club submitted a bid for major funding from the Scottish Football Facilities Fund, administered by the Scottish Football Association. The project's aim is to create an all-year-round facility which the club - which has 25 teams and over 450 players aged six to over 60 - can train on all-year-round. Jeanfield Swifts currently has a grass pitch at Riverside Stadium - on long-term lease from Perth and Kinross Council - and effectively has exclusive use of three outside pitches through a seasonal pitch lets agreement with Perth and Kinross Council. The plan is to replace the stadium pitch with a synthetic pitch, add a synthetic pitch at the back, and return the remaining greenspace to Community Greenspace. Currently, players are unable to train on the unlit grass pitches for six months of the year and end up training on facilities in the Perth and Kinross school estate such as Bertha Park High School's. A club spokesperson said: "Our plans are to create a major new facility with two all-weather pitches and reconfigure existing built infrastructure to respond to the needs of a diverse user base. This will give us a year-round home and also free up space across the Perth and Kinross schools estate for other local clubs, as we currently dominate evening slots on the PKC pitches over the winter." Approximately one third of Jeanfield Swifts' members are female, and the club has plans to grow this with the addition of a women's senior team in Tier Five of Scottish Women's Football next season. The club also has a number of social programmes including: women's walking football, Welcome League for asylum seekers, holiday camps for local children and School of Football with Perth Grammar. It also aims to offer "turn-up-and-play" sessions after school, allowing free community usage of one of the pitches. At Wednesday's meeting, Bailie Mike Williamson suggested, planning consideration be given to having "suitable noise kick boards or boards around the site to reduce the noise as balls hit the fences, etc.". He added: "Also suitable drainage, landscaping and mitigations against light pollution from the floodlights." Following the meeting a club spokesperson said: "Jeanfield Swifts believes in the power of football to change lives. We already have a big impact on many local youngsters and other community members, and this project will allow us to improve our offer to women and girls, people whose opportunities are limited by physical and mental wellbeing and others who are marginalised. Riverside25 opens the door to mass participation in healthy activity, improving social cohesion and reducing the burden on health services." A detailed planning application for the development will be submitted to the council in due course.
