West Highland and Islands as Call for Sites and Ideas

19th March 2015

Council urge suggestions for future planning of the West Highland and Islands as Call for Sites and Ideas process nears deadline.

A call for people's suggestions of sites and ideas for inclusion within the forthcoming West Highland and Islands Local Development has been underway since 30th January and now enters its last week before the closing on 27th March 2015.

The plan will cover Wester Ross, Lochalsh, Skye and Lochaber. The plan will shape how communities will grow and develop in the future. To do this it will earmark land for new development, such as housing and business, as well as sites to be protected from building. Once completed the plan will be used to guide decisions on planning applications.

The Call for Sites and Ideas process provides a one in five-year opportunity for all members of the public, developers and landowners to be involved in the process at the earliest possible stage. This enables early influence upon the plan’s content- which can involve everything from identifying key ideas and issues the plan should seek to address, to putting forward sites for protection and development.

Tim Stott, Principal Planner with the Council’s Development Plans team said: "The more people that take part at this stage the better as it means we’ll be able to produce a high quality plan that truly reflects the needs of the communities and encourages the development of better quality places. It’s a chance for people to influence the future of their area so we want to make sure everyone has their say."

Anyone wishing to submit suggestions should make sure to do so by Friday 27th March 2015. To access the submission form or find out more information on the process of producing and adopting the West Highland and Islands Local Development Plan please refer to the Call for Sites and Ideas Guide, both of which are available on the Council’s website www.highland.gov.uk/whildp. Anyone with further queries or requiring assistance please do not hesitate to contact the Development Plans Team on 01349 886608 or email whilp[AT]highland.gov.uk