Officials are set to ask for £200,000 for consultants to target Helensburgh’s green belt as quickly as possible – minutes after councillors are asked to increase council tax by 6% because of a £10m budget gap.
Last month it was revealed here that planners wanted to build new housing in the green belt around Helensburgh, having ruled out ‘growth of any significant size’ on any of the area’s islands, the Cowal Peninsula or the Mull of Kintyre.
Oban is also targeted for development but is said to be ‘increasingly physically constrained and nearing its topographical capacity for growth’.
Read more: Luss Estates suggests housing on two green belt sites
A report said: “Helensburgh and Lomond enjoys proximity and connectivity with the central belt and the development of HMNB Clyde is increasing the naval staff by 1,700 and their families, and brings further associated civilian population.
“However growth of the area is restricted by the green belt designation which was designed to contain the settlements.”
Now officials have asked a total of £450,000 to produce strategic development frameworks which will plan for future development over the next 20 to 40 years – £200,000 of that would be spent on the Helensburgh area.
Read more: Council’s development plan contained tasteless jokes about climate change
A new report by executive director Kirsty Flanagan, which will be discussed on Thursday, says that ‘draft and preliminary scoping work’ has already started and elected councillors will be told about it this spring.
It adds: “In terms of timescale, there is an immediate priority to develop this work even though the outcomes identified will be delivered in the medium term.
“Ultimately, for the strategic development frameworks to have maximum influence and leverage on investment, it will be necessary for it to be incorporated into the next Local Development Plan.
“The aim would be to adopt LDP3 within five years.
“Adequate resourcing of the strategic development frameworks will be of significant importance to delivering within this timescale.
“Subject to more detailed project scoping and planning, it is estimated that if fully funded with consultancy support it would be possible to produce the strategic development frameworks to in a two to three-year timeframe.”
The costs of £200,000 for Helensburgh and £250,000 are described as ‘high level estimates’.
The new report will be discussed at next Thursday’s meeting of the council’s policy and resources committee.
Some years ago I asked how much the council had spent on consultants in the previous year. At that time it was just shy of £1million. Perhaps I’m being naive but my experience of consultants being paid to look at options is that they go round abd ask the right people then present the suggestions as their work. I hope we have enough sensible people on the payrole to carry out the execise without wasting lots of council cash getting others to do what could be done in house.
Agree with Dougie, not often but definitely on this one. Of course employing consultants absolves the council of any responsibility for decision making.