A turbine, a hostel, some workshops a-and housing …
18/11/2012 | 
Author … to be sung to the tune of “The Bonny Ash Grove”.
Here we go again. The EP Newsroom hacks have received some documents containing information of which fellow islanders need to be made aware.
From these documents it emerges that Eilean Eisdeal have engaged a Planning Consultant, Suzanne McIntosh (paid for out of charitable funds?) to press Argyll & Bute planners to amend the Local Development Plan (LDP) to accommodate their desire for development on the island, based on their “Masterplan”.
“What Masterplan??” we hear you ask.
Well, apparently, Eilean Eisdeal are “undertaking a Masterplanning exercise with the island’s community”.
Oh really?
To our knowledge (and we’ve been here a good while), the so-called “Masterplan” was dreamed up by Mike MacKenzie when he was an EE director, and is based solely on an informal questionnaire done in 1997, before EE was formally constituted. Yes … 1997 … 15 years ago. There remains a very small core of residents from that time, but since then more than 100 people have come – lived hre for a while - and gone. NOT any sort of a “mandate” for a “Masterplan”, then.
As regards any sort of “Masterplanning exercise”, we recall perhaps three meetings where those persent were TOLD what was going to happen.
Remember the meeting where the Dualchas architect lady had been sacked, and the discussion was “facilitated” by the aggressive John Campbell QC?
Remember Jim Mather’s barmy “mind-mapping” exercise, headed up by Mellon? Whatever happened to that?
Remember the meeting where the new and innocent architect Waseem presented us with hostel schemes? Did we want a big one, a medium sized one or a small one? NOT did we actually want a hostel at all??
Anyway, to cut to the chase, CLICK HERE to view the notes of EE’s and their Planning Consultant’s meeting with Argyll & Bute Council planning officers. Not an easy read because of all the abbreviations, but please follow it through, focussing on the keywords in the title of this post.
And CLICK HERE to see how EE’s Planning Consultant is attempting to manipulate the Local Plan.
The documents you see here were apparently obtained under a Freedom of Information request.
Question. If Eilean Eisdeal purports to be acting on behalf of islanders, why is it that islanders can only find out what they’re up to invoking Freedom of Information?
Posted in Planning Alerts
As far as EE’s attempts to manipulate the Local Plan is concerned the comment form specifically states :-
“Comments are sought only on the sites shown in the consultation document.”
and
“Comments made on any other sites will not be considered as part of this consultation.”
Easdale Island is not shown in the consultation document and hence comes under the category of any other site. The comment form is therefore irrelevant.
At the Public Enquiry to determine the current Local Plan for Easdale Island, the Reporters state:
‘.. we do not accept that these objectors speak for “the people of Easdale”’.
(In this case the objectors included Eilean Eisdeal).
The Reporters also said:
The council had received a substantial number of representations objecting to the
identification of any new development sites on Easdale Island. There was a petition
of 51 names (27 of which had Easdale Island addresses); 9 individual letters, and a
written statement of support for the council’s stance with 6 signatures. The Easdale Island Residents and Property Owners Association has also formally supported the Council’s position.
In my view, it is not surprising that Eilean Eisdeal is once again resorting to tactics that require FOIs to find out what they are doing. I hope that the Council planning department (and Reporters, if needed) has a long memory.
How on earth can a 15 year old, so called ‘master plan’ be relevant? And if EE believe it is, they also have to acknowledge the relevance of the petitions sbumitted by islanders and the Scottish Government reporter’s statement above.
I wonder how the consultant got involved to start with – might it involve the usual suspect?
Tina, yes your right the usual suspect. Suzanne McIntosh sits on the same committee in the Scottish parliament as Mike Mackenzie MSP, his hand is still there controlling and manipulating this charity.
Master Plans :
Check the Tiree experience, to understand the vacuosity of the term and its implied objective.
Scottish Govt stated the ‘ transformational’ nature of any proposed Tiree Array and set up a ” Master Planning ” exercise with a £50,000 price tag. The planners loved it ..this would lead evryone into the promised land
Please ignore my erlier contribution .. i pressed the wrong editing button
so here we go again
++
Master Plans :
Check the Tiree experience, to understand the vacuosity of the term, and its implied objectives.
Scottish Govt stated the ‘ transformational’ nature of any proposed Tiree Array and set up a ” Master Planning ” exercise with a £50,000 price tag. The planners loved it ..this would lead everyone into the promised land!
The Reality ? The Developer (SPR) hi- jacked its scope. It was no longer a Master Plan but a study limited to Onshore Development Scenarios , and excluded the most significant structure, a 6 acre On shore Convertor Station, which could be a possible outcome .
The developers also insisted it be dis -connected from any consent decision.
Beware planners bearing gifts !
rgds
Has FoI, or any other means of investigation, thrown any light on progress of clearing up the R’n'G? The deadline is looming.