Nairn River Community Council

The next Nairn River CC meeting will be held at the Community and Arts Centre at 7pm  on Wed 21 November 2018
Here is the Agenda  and the Minutes of our last meeting ( Sept 17) 
Main topics discussed were
Highland Councils new rules  on Developer Contributions and the mystery of the 'missing millions' which Highland Council should have collected from developers for the hundreds of homes  built on Nairn Lochloy estate to pay for infrastructure and community facilities, including a planned school and a bridge over the railway.  A recent  Highland Council response to a Freedom of Information request by a local resident records only £271,000  collected  from Lochloy developers since 2000. The school was removed from the Local Plan with no local consultation, and there is still no sign of the promised bridge to Balmakeith
Concerns about how Nairn Common Good Fund is currently managed (with decisions made by the whole Council in Inverness, with our 4 Nairn Councillors well outnumbered…

The next Nairn River CC meeting will be held at the Community and Arts Centre at 7 on Wed 19 Sept
Here is the agenda   and the Minutes of our last meeting in  July 2018
(We had no public meeting in August but you will see that our members have been very busy)
You will also notice a new look 'timed' agenda.

In light of this year's 60% operational funding cut from Highland Council) we aim to

better coordinate our growing workload  with other Nairnshire Community Councils make more use of our webpage and other channels to share information with local residentshold fewer meetings  but improve focus  on key topics of concern to Nairn River residents  where community involvement can make a real difference for Nairn 

Other reading material relating to Wednesday's agenda and recent CC activities is below
There is a lot of information here but we'd encourage all Nairn residents to inform themselves  on current and proposed developments for the town and to get involved so tha…

The two Nairn  'town' Community Councils ( Nairn River CC and Suburban and West CC)
have written to Nairn Councillors and the Ward Manager this week to urge a joined up approach to the future development and improvement of the Links and seafront area. Our letter is here Links Development Nairn CCs letter to Council re working together
In June 2018 a  Nairn Links Scoping Report written by Council officers and an Options Appraisal and Consultation commissioned by the Council on the paddling pool area , were tabled at Highland Council's Nairnshire Committee Nairn Links Scoping Report Highland Council 13 June 2018
At the Nairn Games on 18th August the Council hosted a 'public consultation' stall based on its own reports above to inform a new plan for the Links area.  This  stall was staffed by Nairn's Highland Councillors and the Ward Manager. It did not involve Community Councils or include the ideas and vision of any local community led enterprises such as Team Ham…

We are fundraising  to set up a small civic grants fund  for Nairn River Community Council to use to help out local organisations who do good for Nairn.
We are having to do this as our own Highland Council grant was cut this year by 60% and we can no longer give small donations as we have in the past to help fund civic events such as Nairn Games and Xmas lights switch on.
We are trying a new way to do this through crowdfunding and  if you donate a few pounds you also have a chance to win valuable tickets to 2 ( already sold out) local events  -
the legendary Monster Music Bash ( an evening of vintage Nairn rock n blues ) on 15 Sept at the British Legion, 
and for the kids 2 under 18 tickets to see Chris Packham, naturalist and  TV presenter at the Community Centre on Sunday 16th Sept ( part of Nairn Book and Arts Festival)
The JustGiving weblink is here (  sorry link was no working for a couple of days due to technical hitch. All OK now. )
Nairn Civic Events Crowdfunder ( plus free ti…

Webcast of SPAC Planning Meeting 8th August - approving 115 more houses for Lochloy estate 
Here is the webcast of yesterday's South Planning Applications Committee (SPAC)  meeting in Inverness which approved  plans for Springfield to build 115 more houses on land belonging to Nairn Councillor Liz MacDonald. This will extend the Lochloy estate to the edge of Kingsteps.
The vote was tied - 5 members for and 5 against.
Cllr Gray the Chairman then used his casting vote,  to approve the plans .
Of Nairn's 2 Councillors on this committee we understand that Cllr Fraser voted against approval, and Cllr Heggie voted in favour.
South Planning Applications Committee 8 Aug 2018 Item 6.1 Springfield Properties NA2 site Kingsteps Nairn
Badgers on the site - Yes or No ?
If you watch the webcast you will hear the Planning Officer responding to wildlife queries from Councillor Heggie and  Green Councillor Pippa Hadley -He states that his understanding is that there are no live badger setts o…

Kingsteps protests against NA2 Plans for 115 more homes at Lochloy - are covered in today's Press and Journal ( Saturday 4th August 2018)
Kingsteps and Lochloy NA2 protest Aug18 - P and J 040818
There is also  a podcast on the P and J website by Susy MacAulay their local democracy correspondent with interviews with Loreine Thomson, Lochloy resident and chair of  Nairn Residents Concern Group and Morton Gillespie from Kingsteps Residents Group
Press and Journal podcast 04082018 ( Kingsteps development protest)
Local residents and Nairn River Community Councillors will be joining local residents from 9.30 am next Wednesday morning 8th August when South Planning Applications Committee members ( including Nairn Councillors Tom Heggie and Laurie Fraser)  and Highland planning officers will tour the site proposed for 115 more houses at Lochloy and Kingsteps on land which belongs to Nairn Councillor Liz MacDonald.
This visit is intended to help Highland Council's elected members reach…