Standard Report for Planning Applications - Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Roads
6.5 “Properties/sites served by an unadopted road which has fairly recently been
resurfaced. Would advise formation of a turning head at then end of the road to
cater for possible future use i.e bin wagon. Septic tank drainage should be taken
through road to discharge on west side...”
Scottish Water
6.6 Awaited.
Scottish and Southern
6.7 Awaited.
VIEWS OF APPLICANT
7.1 The full terms of the views of the applicant can be read on file at the Department for
Sustainable Communities. However, they can be summarised as follows:
a) “Former Planning Officer Mr Alastair Banks agreed to waive the landscaping and wall
repair conditions after it was explained that the proceeds of the sale of Plots 1 and
3…was all expended in forming the access road, fencing off this road, fencing the
plots and leading in mains water to both plots. I am able to demonstrate at my own
property that in order for trees to grow at such an exposed location as Claddach
Kirkibost, windbreak fencing has to be erected. The cost of enclosing the area
surrounding the plots with this type of fencing would be prohibitive. When in the past
part of the stone wall was demolished the stone was removed from the site (believed
to be used in the construction of the public bar at Westford Inn). In order to
reconstruct the missing part of the two metre high wall, stone would have to be
acquired and imported at further cost.”
b) “Plot 3 is badly drained as it has been used for the past 12/14 years by Mr Marshalls
sons and other local children as a football pitch. There is no reason why the drains
indicated by Mr Marshall cannot be culverted as he suggests. This requirement
could be passed on to the plot purchaser.”
c) “Damaged caused to the access road by future plot purchasers would obviously be
their responsibility and future maintenance costs for virtually the same length of road
would be shared by seven instead of five.”
d) “I do not recall any bins being at the junction the day Mrs Marshall had her accident,
in fact initially Mrs Marshall said our B&B notice board obstructed her view, this she
later retracted. For the past twenty years there have been bins at the road junction
once a week and more recently once a fortnight. If the waste disposal team were
agreeable there is an area behind the bus shelter which is also at the road junction
where bins could await collection.”
e) “I am a former proprietor of Westford Inn and in my view the more people you have
living within walking distance of the pub the better for business. The building was
built as a Doctor’s house in the 1870s and converted to an Inn in 1885. Westford Inn
is situated facing North East towards the main public road i.e away from Plot 4. The
only window with a view towards Kirkibost Island and the Atlantic is from the Kitchen
area. A building on plot 2 would be between those existing on Plots 1 and 3 and
would not affect any view from the Inn.”
f) “As regards complaints from neighbours to activities at Westford, it is agreed that the
Inn was there first but up until the 1960s the bars closed at 9.00pm and they did not
play loud amplified music. I am sure that if the Inn is operated within the legal
restriction of noise and behaviour as required of every pub and bar throughout the
country, there will be no justified complaints from neighbours.”
g) “There are no mooring rights. If Westford Inn enjoyed mooring rights at the seashore
they would be have been granted by Crown Estate Commissioners and as the Land
Owner of all the land between the Inn and the shore I would have been made aware
of this. Should Mr McKay wish to gain access to the shore he may do so through the
field gate to the South of my house down the track alongside my southern boundary.”