Public Questions -parking and visitor facilities- to help Nairn Community groups work with Highland Council to improve 2021 tourist welcome

An online meeting was held on 1st September 2020 which brought together representatives of the two Nairn Community Councils ( Nairn River and Nairn West and Suburban) , BID and NICE ( Nairn's Community Development Trust) with 3 of Nairn's Highland Councillors and a number of Highland officers involved with transport and parking, policy, and improvement of tourist welcome facilities(eg toilets, campervans) across Highland. 

For more information on  community groups 'Team Nairn' joined up approach to getting the best for Nairn  see our previous posting on Working Together for Nairn 

All present agreed that there was a shared wish to improve Nairn's tourist welcome and visitor amenities, to help the local economy recover from impacts of the COVID lockdown 

Nairn needs to be ready for a further influx of 'Staycation'visitors including camper vans in 2021 so it is important to explore ways to target resources on improvements to local visitor facilities, as has happened in other parts of Highland, which have seen significant investment by Highland Council in new toilets and car parks, such as in Skye and on the North Coast 500 route. Nairn may be eligible for funding  from the new Coastal Communities Fund to fund such improvements. 

At this meeting Highland Council representatives proposed the following  areas for discussion. 

1/ improving toilet facilities and waste disposal for Camper Vans near the Harbour, 

(where current public toilets are closed) 

2/the possibility of Highland Council working with Nairn communities to bring in a new parking charges scheme on 3 'seafront' parking areas - the Harbour, the Maggot, Cumming Street/Links 

( all 3 are Common Good lands) 

Various 'business models' were described which are operating in other Highland Communities, where Highland Council oversees collection of charges and parking enforcement. Options include the Council  paying a one off annual rental to Nairn Common Good fund to operate car parks,  or agreeing a percentage of surplus funds to be released for local community spending. 

 Note that all 3 of these existing car parks are on Nairn Common Good land 

This  means that 100% of income should return to Nairn, so any scheme negotiated with the local community would have to demonstrate measurable benefits to Nairn communities, once all the set up and management costs and any potential negative impacts on surrounding neighbourhoods are factored in. Income could also vary widely depending on the hours, and number of days per year charges are in place and whether locals are to pay for parking as well as visitors. 

 There may also be added policing and parking enforcement costs in surrounding streets with 'displacement'of cars to Fishertown  where onstreet parking is already at a premium, due to pressure from holiday lets in summer, which has already been causing local concerns

Parking Charges - and Holiday Lets Policy 

 Highland Council has yet to develop a ' holiday lets policy' with local communities.

Scottish Government has given local authorities the powers to do this- and City of Edinburgh is already working on it. This is becoming urgent for tourist dependent communities like Skye and Nairn. 

Improved regulation, and operating guidelines for holiday lets could help to target appropriate facilities for visitors (including parking) in areas where holiday lets are common. 

It could also help ensure that tourists are made to feel welcome in local communities, rather than causing friction re parking, and that the tourist industry enhances local communities and does not allow growth in holiday lets to undermine availability of affordable housing for local families and workers. 

 Community Empowerment, and Common Good legislation 

 Under Community Empowerment Act-Scotland  any proposals for a change of use to Common Good Assets ( including land ) must be developed transparently by Highland Council and other agencies/funders working closely with local (Nairn) communities to negotiate a mutually beneficial arrangement. 

 Any proposals put forward for changes to CG land, as well as having to comply with Planning and other legislation( eg re environmental impacts), will also require a 12 week'Common Good' public consultation to obtain community approval before any changes can go ahead 

If the Common Good land is also deemed 'inalienable'( which much of Nairn's is) the applicant will also have to fund an application to the Sheriff Court for permission to make this change. 

So as you can see there is still a lot of research, paperwork, and negotiation to come before any proposed new parking schemes or toilet improvements, however welcome, could be implemented 

Note also that all Nairn's public toilets are currently on Common Good land

 Next Steps for Community Dialogue 

Any proposed 'action plan' for parking charges or other improvements under discussion by Highland Council with Nairn community representatives, will be put before the public.

To maximise community engagement there will be a full 12 week public consultation period for any proposed activity on Common Good land. 

 All public feedback has to be taken into account, before any plans affecting Common Good Assets can be finalised.    If the community are generally opposed, plans cannot proceed and must go back to drawing board

What is the point of this ? 

If you are a Nairn resident, these 3 car parks are Common Good assets, intended for your benefit ( not Highland Council's) and you have a say in what happens to them.

The 12 Nairn River Community Councillors as your community representatives want to make sure that all the right questions are asked, community views are gathered, and that all possible options are explored, so that 

 1/our town gets the best possible solution for both locals and visitors by making the most of resources available.( including public funding)

 2/the people of Nairn (for whose sole benefit Common Good assets are intended) get something that they actually want, which has tangible benefits for the community 

 3/Nairn's Common Good assets are protected and preserved for future generations to enjoy 

The Big Questions

 See below some questions to consider before any action plan proposals are drafted for further public consultation

 These are the questions which members of the 2 CCs , NICE and BID are already considering, based on Highland Council has put forward. 

As plans develop there may be more questions.

 Re Parking Charges 

1/ Do you think that parking charges should be progressed as a general principle on the 3 Common Good sites mentioned ( Harbour, Cumming St , Maggot)? 

 2/ Do you think parking charges on Common Good land should be managed and run by Highland Council ?

 3/ What kind of management contract would you prefer to see if THC takes on the parking operation?

this could -be an up front a one off rental fee ( 5-10 k in other parts of Highland) a management contract where a 'cut' of the income eg 50/50 ( minus costs) comes back to CG fund. a service level agreement -which could entail a 20% fee to THC and % of net income

 4/Do you want Nairn to explore other 'community led' alternatives for managing these Common Good facilities - ( eg in Findhorn a local community trust manages a car park and collects parking fees ) 

5/Do you want to see Parking Charges introduced in other parts of Nairn ( eg Town Centre)? 

 If Yes please suggest where.

 Re camper van parking 

 1/ are you in favour of designated parking areas for Camper Vans near Nairn Seafront ( at Maggot, Cumming St and/or Harbour? )

 2/If you are in favour - what is your preferred location of the above 3? 

3/do you have any other suggestions for a suitable location for Camper Vans in Nairn(shire) Re toilets near Harbour 

 1/ do you want existing Harbour St toilets re instated with chemical waste disposal added? ( as Cllr Heggie has proposed)

 2/ Do you want to see new relocated toilet facilities in this area - if so where? ( eg Maggot, other site near Harbour) 

 3/ What facilities should they have? eg chemical waste disposal, public showers? ( there was also discussion of proposal to add showers at Links toilets )

 4/ are there any other  improvements to public toilets or other visitor facilities such as parking that you would like to see in place before the 2021 tourist season 

 Holiday Lets 

 1/ are there any actions you would like to see taken forward to help Nairn to manage holiday lets ( eg Air BnB) better 

 2/Would you like to see Highland Council bring in a 'holiday lets policy' for Nairn(shire)

 3/ If Yes to 2 - what kind of regulations/guidelines would you like this to include for Nairn holiday let owners? 

 4/If yes to 2, Would you like Nairn(shire) to define 'designated areas' where holiday lets are permitted, and others where they are not ?

Please feel free to add your own views and suggestions to the mix to help us negotiate the right solutions for Nairn. 

 

Tell Us What you Think

You can post your comments/answers to questions/ or more questions-  below 

or email them direct to secretary@nairnrivercc.org .  ( PS comments are now working -after initial teething troubles - so do try posting again if didn't work the first time - and allow a delay for approval) 

Please   make sure that you communicate directly with us at Nairn River CC so that we can pass your views  on  (or contact the other local organisations mentioned above) 

If you want your voice to be heard  on any community matters like this please - talk to your Community Councillors and  Highland Councillors  and be ready to use 'official channels' to  feed your views in to any future Highland Council public consultations or surveys on parking charges, use of Common Good etc .

Also note that  personal opinions voiced on local social media eg Nairn Rocks on any community matters,  won't normally be included as part of any 'official' public consultation. 

We will however  keep local websites/Facebook pages posted with links to any consultation activity that we know of  in due course as local plans become clearer.

Thanks for comments and emails so far- please keep them coming . 

Feel free to suggest other areas of local concern which Nairn River Community Council should be engaging with the public on, to make sure local views are heard and taken on board by Highland planners and decision makers.