Inverness plan for 381 new homes attracts objections from Highland Council transport team
Council officials have raised a number of concerns over plans to build 381 new homes close to the River Ness.
Last month it appeared plans to build the new development immediately southwest of Lochardil, on the south side of the city, had taken a major step forward, with Ness Valley Leisure submitting an application for planning permission in principle for the development "and associated infrastructure and open space".
Proposing 381 homes in a mix of tenures and types the site sits adjacent, to the north, to a separate site being developed by Tulloch Homes.
The River Ness sits to the west, with Dores Road running along the south-eastern boundary.
Developers stated then: “Sustainable, resource and energy-efficient homes will be provided that are accompanied by suitable levels of car and cycle parking, landscaping, and bin storage.
“Residential amenity provided by good private gardens and generous public open spaces while SUDs (sustainable drainage systems) and roads and footways would be a safe space for pedestrians first.
“The surrounding deciduous woodland would be retained and enhanced.”
Subscribe to receive our free email newsletters
Find out more about planning applications that affect you at the Public Notice Portal.
Now, however, Highland Council’s transport planning and flood risk management teams have both highlighted concerns with the proposals as they stand.
The transport team has raised what it calls a “holding objection” to the fact that no assessment appears to have been undertaken regarding two proposed access points to the site - from Dores Road and at the Holm Roundabout.
“Any such assessments should take account of likely worst case trip generations from the non-residential uses that could come forward on this development site,” it said.
“It should also adequately reflect impacts from other committed developments likely to be impacting on the routes and junctions being assessed.
“We reiterate our previous advice that the assessment of the changed signalised junction access will need to adequately reflect the concentrated impacts from drop-off and pick-up times at the local Ness Castle Primary School.”
The team also objects to drainage plans for the site, branding a submitted Drainage Strategy “totally inadequate”.
And in terms of public transport provision it rejects a suggestion that current provision outwith the site will be adequate for residents’ needs.
Instead the transport team wants to see plans drawn up for bus stops within the development and for the development’s roads to be designed to allow access for buses.
Acknowledging that there would be an expense associated with extending public transport provision in this way they say developer contributions should be sought towards this.
Meanwhile the flood risk management team says that, within the developer’s own submissions it identifies the site as potentially at risk of flooding from the Holm Burn, with further details of the nature of that risk and potential mitigations to be determined later.
The team lodges an objection to the scheme on the grounds that “we are not able to support development in a flood risk area”.
It also says a Drainage Impact Assessment will be required for the site, with the submitted Drainage Strategy not adequate. It objects to the proposed development in the absence of such an assessment.
It will now be up to Ness Valley Leisure to determine how it responds to these points.
