REDEVELOPMENT FOR HOUSING
DILAPIDATED AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS AND CURTILAGE, VIEWHILL, BALLOCH
This is an opportunity to help bring forward a high quality development proposal for an important site at the edge of Inverness. The development plan and policies enable redevelopment for housing in principle. This is an opportunity to broaden the choice of local homes, help sustain community facilities and remove dilapidated buildings.
The landowner, Inverness Properties Ltd., wishes to take account of your views in preparing a masterplan and a design brief. Please fill-in the questionnaire which invites your views and return it to us by 2nd December 2010. We propose to lodge an application for planning permission in due course. As the site exceeds 2 ha., this will be a major development. We will consult again before finalising our ideas.
LOCATION
The following factors indicate an appropriate redevelopment site:
§ urban edge location, well within the City altitude limits and with potential for significant local enhancement
§ adjoining an existing residential enclave, with potential to support the local school, shop and transport services
§ close to Culloden Road, a local distributor road and footpath to Balloch “neighbourhood”; and capable of connection to water and waste water networks
§ screening from the B9006 tourist route and Culloden Battlefield and able to replace existing bulk buildings for net environmental gain.
SITE
A development proposal will require to take account of the following site considerations:
§ 2.1 ha. of brownfield land and an 11,000 sq. m footprint of largely disused and dilapidated farm buildings
§ largely flat land with a slight northerly slope towards the forest edge, and reasonable ground conditions. Natural drainage to the north
§ fine views especially to the south and west, sheltered to the north by a mature high forest edge
§ an open southerly aspect which presents scope to maximise day/sun lighting for future residentsextension of the footpath from the edge of Balloch towards the Battlefield
POLICY
The site is not identified for any particular purpose in the Inverness Local Plan. The general policies seek “to develop the urban structure in accordance with the design principles/standards.
The Inverness Local Plan indicates that in the Balloch neighbourhood, the “housing mix” shows “imbalance in tenure/type and size”…and recognises “specialist housing” as a “deficiency”. It refers to traffic management as an appropriate “environmental action”. It promotes 25% affordable housing
The Plan indicates that “development land at Balloch is virtually exhausted…”; that “open space/community facilities convenient to housing areas…could be met south of Balloch…”; that “traffic calming and a bus terminus have been provided on Culloden Road”…; and that “established walks…could extend on the edge of neighbouring farmland”
Planning Advice Note 73 Rural Diversification states “Development Plan policies should encourage rehabilitation of brownfield sites in rural areas and in appropriate locations allow for their redevelopment. Brownfield sites are broadly defined as sites that have previously been developed. In rural areas this usually means sites that are occupied by redundant or unused buildings or where land has been significantly degraded by a former activity”.
The Highland-wide Local Development Plan policy on Housing in the Countryside (Hinterland areas) allows the principle of “…the redevelopment of derelict land…” for housing. The draft Supplementary Guidance indicates “ there is a presumption in favour of the redevelopment of previously used land in the Hinterland… The intention…. is to remove environmental blight from rural areas”.
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