Cromarty Firth ward councillor calls for more to be done to help rural Highlanders build houses or crofts; the Easter Ross councillor was speaking as Highland Council's economic and infrastructure committee agreed to continue consultation efforts
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MORE needs to be done to help rural Highlanders build houses or crofts in their local area, a senior councillor believes.
The North Planning Application Committee chairwoman, Cllr Maxine Smith, was speaking after another committee agreed to continue consultation efforts to improve countryside planning policies.
Speaking in the Economic and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Smith said people and councillors felt that the existing framework restricted people from building houses or crofts in their local areas and prevented inward investment.
She said: "We were undergoing workshops to revisit these policies before Covid-19 hit and these need to be continued.
"Many of us feel strongly that we do not offer sufficient opportunity for people to build tasteful housing in the countryside, we restrict them from building in areas where they have lived all of their lives.
"By making planning in the country extremely difficult we are increasing the costs of a plot of land.
"Around 20 years ago an acre could be secured for around £15,000; these days you’d be lucky to pick up a tiny plot for £120,000.
"These prices make it impossible for local families to consider a self-build, as well as preventing inward investment.
"In the Highlands land is not in shortage, so why aren’t we maximising opportunities.”
The committee agreed to continue workshops and consultation amongst councillors on the countryside policies, which satisfied the SNP Group Co-leader, who followed up with: “I am pleased that officers are taking this on board, as in general planning officers do appear to learn how to be prescriptive when it comes to granting planning applications.
"On the whole Highland planning officers are more pro-active in assisting applicants to get a positive result, however as councillors we still need them to take on board a more lenient planning approach for our countryside. We will keep working on it.”
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