Three planning concerns

In response to many comments, concerns and complaints about SIC Planning, and whilst considering standing in the last SIC elections, I put forward serious concerns about how unfit for purpose the planning system is in Shetland via letters to the media, Facebook posts, and questions to elected members.

I was shocked at three fundamental outcomes:

1.
Experienced councillors responding to questions about planning believe Shetland’s planning is almost entirely dictated by Scottish planning regulations, with SIC planning officials just rubberstamping Holyrood regulations.

2.
The Local Plan has no real influence on the planning system and officials having little room for interpretation of Scottish planning guidelines.

3.
A total lack of any support from the building sector or any individuals in dispute or falling foul of the draconian planning system, despite all the concerns expressed previously, though I did get a few off the record replies confirming some fear of the planning dept.

I can only conclude that our elected members (old and new) are planning ignorant or scarred to tackle the issue. As the local plan is a Scottish Government strategy allowing all local councils to allow their own local aspirations/rules etc onto the Scottish planning guidelines, it shows that elected members are not serving their electorate on this.

Also, planning officials have some room in interpreting planning guidelines and working with the local plan, something that does not happen in Shetland. Shetland is the most expensive place in Scotland to build a simple house.

In other parts of Scotland local authorities are working with low cost housing agencies, architects and designers to consent to affordable housing by cutting regulations and costs.

Housing schemes in Edinburgh based on transportable wooden huts for the homeless are in progress, other areas are looking at shipping containers as single person units, and there is more happening out there reflecting the economic circumstances we now live in.

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Shetland has two major problems in terms of sustainable rural development and affordable housing: weak councillors (the dog) allowing the planning department (the tail) to wag & dictate an unsustainable system.

The second problem is the absolute fear of the planning department that the building industry and any individual applicant has of the department. It seems that if you complain you go to the bottom of the list and incur more delay or cost.

SIC planning now stands directly in opposition to affordable housing, sustainable rural life and any aspired development.

For a single department of a local authority to have so much control and influence in its community, borders on economic terrorism but for elected members who ultimately control the various departments, its a total neglect of their duties and the rural members need to reflect on this as Lerwick drives the drift of folk from rural areas closer to the toon and continues to undermine rural communities.

Vic Thomas
Catfirth