Deadline fast approaching for the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan

1st July 2012

The consultation on the first stage of preparing the Local Development Plan for the Inner Moray Firth area is drawing to a close, with the deadline for submissions at 5 pm on Friday (6 July). The consultation document, known as the Main Issues Report, asks for people's thoughts on where future development should and should not be located across the Inner Moray Firth area which stretches from Tain in the North to Fort Augustus in the South and Auldearn in the East to Garve in the West.

The consultation on the Main Issues Report began on 5 April 2012 and 35 events have been hosted by the Planning and Development Service over the past three months to ask people where they think their community should develop over the next 20 years. More than 1,000 people have attended these events and given their views in person. The Council is now urging those wishing to submit written comments to do so by the deadline of 5pm on Friday.

Councillor Thomas Prag, Chairman of the Council's Planning, Environment and Development Committee said: "I'm often told that planners don't ask people what they think, don't listen properly and that we don't get the infrastructure right. This time we have been out and about all over the area and done as much as we can to get folk to engage with the ideas in the plan.

"The views of the community, developers and landowners are key to enable us to have a plan in place to help deliver, houses, jobs, community facilities and all of the infrastructure such as new roads and schools. So please don't miss your chance to make your views known - which sites should be developed, which sites should be safeguarded from development and what infrastructure is needed to make these developments happen."

The public can view the Main Issues Report and find out how to make comments online at: http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourenvironment/planning/consultations.htm

or in all Council Libraries, Service Points and area Planning Offices.

The consultation on the draft Developer Contributions: Supplementary Guidance and the Public Art Strategy: Supplementary Guidance also comes to a close this Friday. These documents can be viewed across The Highland Council area in Libraries, Service Points and area Planning Offices as well as online at:

http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourenvironment/planning/consultations.htm