Minute / Minute

PLANNING HOUSING AND ENVIRONMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE

Meeting of Tuesday 13 December 2011

at10.30am in Council Offices, English Street, Dumfries

Present

Members

Roger B Grant (Chairman) / - / Annandale North
Ian B Carruthers(Vice-Chairman) / - / Annandale South
Graham Bell / - / North WestDumfries
Ted Brown / - / Annandale North
Brian Collins / - / Castle Douglas & Glenkens
James HDempster / - / Mid & Upper Nithsdale
Michael Dickie / - / Annandale North
Grahame Forster / - / Wigtown West
Alistair Geddes / - / Mid Galloway
Jack Groom / - / Nith
Jeff Leaver / - / Lochar
Denis Male / - / Annandale East
Ronnie Nicholson / - / North WestDumfries
Graham Nicol / - / Mid Galloway
George N Prentice / - / Castle Douglas & Glenkens
Colin Smyth / - / Nith
Andrew S Wood / - / Mid and Upper Nithsdale

Officials

Alistair M Speedie / - / Director Planning and Environment Services
Carol Henshall / - / Service Manager Committee and Members Services
Steven Herriott / - / Head of Infrastructure and Commissioning
Martin Taylor / - / Service Manager Environmental Standards
Russell Wears / - / Team Leader Traffic Engineering

Apologies

Rob Davidson / - / Abbey
Ivor A Hyslop(Leader) / - / Lochar

Alex Haswell

Director Chief Executive Service

  1. SEDERUNT AND APOLOGIES

17 present, 2 apologies

2.DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

NONE declared

3.MINUTE OF MEETING OF TUESDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2011

Decision

APPROVED

4.MINUTE OF MEETING OF TUESDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2011

PROCEDURE - advice was given that only those Members who were present at the meeting on the 15 November could vote.

VOTE

4.1MOTION by COLIN SMYTH seconded by RONNIE NICHOLSONto approve the minute subject to the deletion of points 1,2,3,4 and 5 in the procedural note on page6 and insert “that this was against the spirit of the budget development process”.

4.2AMEMNDMENT by IAN B CARRUTHERS seconded by ROGER B GRANTto approve the minute as a correct record.

4.3On a vote being taken by roll call, Members voted as follows

Motion –5 votes being:

Ted Brown, Grahame Forster, Jeff Leaver, Ronnie Nicholson and Colin Smyth.

Amendment – 8 votes being:

Roger B Grant, Ian B Carruthers, Brian Collins, Michael Dickie, Alistair Geddes, Denis Male, Graham Nicol and George N Prentice.

Decision

APPROVED

5.WHITESANDS FLOOD PROTECTION SCHEME – REPORT ON HYDRAULIC MODELLINGby the Director Planning and Environment Services

Decision

5.1 NOTED the results of 2011 hydraulic modelling;

AGREED

5.2that formalisation of floodwater storage upstream of Dumfries on agricultural land would not form part of any flood protection scheme, thus removing works impact on landowners / occupiers;

5.3that modelling works should not be seen in isolation but as informing town centre regeneration activity, balancing flood risk reduction with the aspirations of improvements in the public realm;

5.4that temporary barriers were unsuitable for the full length of the Whitesands and only certain types may be suitable in very short lengths as part of permanent defences;

5.5that a scheme protecting the Whitesands to the 1 in 200 year return period (0.5% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP)) was not recommended as it would have a severe visual impact upon the townscape, effectively separating the town from the river;

5.6to progress with the preliminary design, including full costing, of a flood protection scheme to offer a lower level of protection (1 in 25 year return period (4%AEP)) led by the town centre regeneration activity that achieves the aims of improvements in the public realm;

5.7to progress thedevelopment of a regeneration masterplan for the Whitesands area including the preliminary design of protection works (1 in 25 year return period) at Friars Vennel, Bank Street, Assembly Street and Nith Street;

5.8to further investigate low cost schemes to protect Mill Green and other upstream localities, removal of gravel and report back by June 2012 at latest; and

5.9that any plan must not displace the problem to the other side of the River Nith or any other locations and that part of the report back to Committee must analyse and advise on any potential impacts.

6.DUMFRIES SOUTH SHORT AND MEDIUM TERM MEASURES – REPORT OF OFFICERS/MEMBERS WORKING GROUP CONSIDERATIONSby the Director Planning and Environment Services

Decision

AGREED

6.1the package of measures detailed as a first phase of the Dumfries South Access Strategy toform the basis of a future bid for a financial allocation from the Capital Development block; and

6.2to receive a further report on the work of the group and its subsequent remit and timescales following the NHS consultation on their relocation initiative..

7.CONTROL OF GULLS IN DUMFRIESby the Director Planning and Environment Services

Decision

NOTED

7.1that all funding will be from the Environmental Health Revenue Budget;

7.2the control measures available for the control of gulls and a brief evaluation of each as requested by members at the Planning, Housing and Environment Services Committee report 8 February 2011;

AGREED

7.3to continue the programme of egg and nest removal to all properties within Dumfries and Heathhall subject to the nests being accessible, having permission from the owner or occupier and the action being justified under the general licence issued by the Scottish Natural Heritage and at a cost of £41,000;

7.4where aggressive behaviour occurs in defence of a chick, to continue the provision of the service for the uplift and removal of the chick to a Veterinary Surgeon for humane euthanasia subject to the action being justified under the general licence issued by the Scottish Natural Heritage and at a cost of £500;

7.5 to provide the service described in 7.3 and 7.4 free of charge;

7.6to continue the independent monitoring and evaluation of the control measures and at a cost of £2500;

7.7to commit to a comprehensive programme of publicity at a cost of £1000;

7.8to receive a report to the Planning, Housing and Environment Services Committee in November 2012 detailing the findings of the independent evaluation and recommendations to inform a decision on whether or not to continue with the control measures in 2013; and

7.9 thatplanning officers ensure that sea gull control measures on planning applications or grant conditions were appropriate and effective before the granting of permission.

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