The following article was first published in the June 2012 Kinross Newsletter.
Perth & Kinross Council would be “… making a ‘joke’ of
so-called ‘consultation’” if it does not produce a modi fied
Local Development Plan to take account of signifi cant
representations made during the public consultation period,
says local Councillor Mike Barnacle.
Cllr Barnacle, leader of the group of Independent
Councillors at PKC, has written to the Council’s Executive
Director (Environment), Jim Valentine, to express the
group’s concerns over the way Council officers are
handling the Plan.
An earlier stage of the LDP was the Main Issues Report,
published in September 2010 and open to comment until
February 2011. Planners held surgeries with Ward members
in October 2011 before deciding on the Proposed LDP,
which was approved at a Full Council meeting on
10 January 2012. PKC exhibited the Plan at drop-in events
throughout the local authority area in February and March.
The period of public representation on the Proposed LDP
was 30 January to 10 April 2012.
In his letter of 2 October 2012 to Mr Valentine, Cllr
Barnacl e writes:
“At that Full Council I thought we were approving a plan
‘for consultation’ so did not seek all the changes I would
have wished and would have been di ffi cult to secure with a
limited debate on 10.1.12, dominated by greater Perth
housing issues.
“Following further public meetings in Kinross-shire
between the Proposed Plan’s publication and the deadline
for comment on 10.4.12, extensive represent ations and
submissions have been made from communities, including
my own, seeking some modifications to the Plan. The Plan
itself states that representations received will be considered
and if significant changes are proposed, a modified version
will be published for a 6 week consultation prior to
submission to the Government Reporters. This is what I
would expect following the submissions made; any other
course making a ‘joke’ of so-called ‘consultation’.”
Cllr Barnacle expresses concern in his letter that senior
Planning officers regard the Proposed Plan as a Final Plan
and “ simply wish members’ authority to send the Proposed
Plan and a report on representations received to the
Reporters for examination.”
He continues: “Also, alarmingly, Development
Management reports are referring to the Proposed Plan as
‘approved by Council’ and ‘a material consideration’.”
In Kinross-shire, housing site allocations in Blairingone,
Kinross and Powmill have given rise to significant
representations and Cllr Barnacle feels that consultation is
required on gypsy/traveller, landscape protection and wind
energy policies.
Cllr Barnacle suggests to Mr Valentine that: “at the very
least, the Planners should hold surgeries with Ward
Members on the represent ations received and their thoughts
on possible modifications before a report is brought back to
Full Council.”
The Councillor awaits a response from Mr Valentine.