Nairn River Community Council

Have your say on Phone Boxes, Police Scotland, Pre Planning Consultation, Short Term Lets, Bathing Water signage – public consultations

Here is a list of public consultations open now to which you can contribute as a member of the public right now – with deadlines where available. Feel free also to feed back to Nairn River CC directly on any of these topics by

1/adding your own comments to our blog below

2/send an email to secretary@nairnrivercc.org or chair@nairnrivercc.org. or

3/ talk to your local community councillor.

A full list of your local community councillors can be found on members page is on this website.

Police Scotland Survey

You can also complete this survey over the phone by calling 07717 150 296 and leaving a message. A member of the survey team will then call you back.

BT Payphone Consultation survey open till 10th October 2020

3 boxes under threat in Nairn town , High St(Castle Square), Moss Side and Fraser Park

Scottish Government Proposed Changes to Pre Planning Public Consultation Requirements

about how developers consult the public before a development proposal becomes a formal Application in the Planning system before the Planning Committee.

Scottish Government Short Term Lets Consultation Open until 10th October

Guidelines for how local authorities can develop local policies to manage and regulate short term and holiday lets in their area. Includes proposal to register all properties being used for short term let.

Current Planning Applications – Highland Council

this is the link to the main online portal where you can find all live planning applications.

Nairn River CC is in Nairn and Cawdor Ward

link below to the most recent application which Nairn River have lodged a submission to as Statutory Consultee

– re the proposed CAB /Flats development on King Street

Highland Council -development consultations

There is information on about a dozen completed development related consultations on the Highland Council website at present – the only open one currently is the

COVID 19 Active Travel Network which SUSTRANS is leading on to promote walking and cycling.

Parking Charges, Camper Vans and Toilets- NRCC initial questions

We have posted own set of questions for locals on the above topics to help inform joint discussions between Highland Council and local community groups to help get Nairn ready for 2021 tourist season

As such developments could mean changes to Common Good land ( Links, Maggot, Harbour), if any proposals go forward Highland Council will need to carry out formal consultation with the local community before any changes can be implemented.( this is not it – as nothing is agreed yet!)

To help inform what happens next, please feed back your views on initial questions above

You can post comments on our blog, email us, or talk to your community councillor or Highland Councillor directly

Bathing Water Signage ( SEPA) consultation open till 13 October

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. I f 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

Thanks for your comments and emails so far

(Aug 21 -comments are now closed here as we await an official Highland Council consultation in autumn 2021 on parking charges at Nairn seafront Common Good car parks which have been voluntary since June )

If you want your voice to be heard on any community matters like this, please talk to your Community Councillors and Highland Councillors and use ‘official channels’ to communicate your views via public consultations or surveys on parking charges, use of Common Good etc .

Note that personal opinions voiced on local social media eg Facebook on any community matters, won’t normally be taken account of as part of an ‘official’ public consultation.

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.

Update on Planning Application for 12 flats and CAB on King Street -request for Planning Committee site visit

Update 5th Sept 2020

This article appeared in the Press and Journal on 27th August regarding proposed development of a newbuild block of 12 flats and new CAB in Nairn Town Centre

It confirmed that Highland Council(the applicant as well as the planning authority in this proposed development) has already published tender documents for the building contracts

(which can be found here on the Scottish Public Contracts website portal)

despite the application having not yet reached the South Planning Applications Committee table for scrutiny and decision.

In early August, and again today, Nairn River Community Council as Statutory Consultee, requested that Planning Officers arrange a ‘site visit’ for members of the South Planning Application Committee to give them an opportunity to see for themselves how this proposed, newbuild would impact on Nairn’s Town Centre landscape and the existing local Masterplan, before they make their decision.

We have asked Nairn’s elected members to support this request, since the application is locally controversial and has undergone several changes, the most recent being revisions to parking layout on 19th August.

16 July 2020

As advertised in last Tuesday’s Nairnshire Telegraph – a revised Planning Application has been submitted to Highland Council Planning department for a 3 storey newbuild block on King Street, to provide 12 flats for social rent and new accommodation for Nairn’s CAB, on the site of the former Community Centre.
This is the third change of design and location in 2 years – the original plan being to renovate the former Police Station buildings, the second to demolish those buildings and build a new 3 storey block nearby on the site of the former Community Centre, while still claiming £195,000 funding from Scottish Government intended for regeneration of existing buildings, for this £3 million ‘newbuild’.
This 3rd revision proposes the same new building in a slightly altered location

If you wish to comment on this Application – it is open for public consultation till 21st July
You can see this Application and post your views directly online on the Planning website here.

Highland Planning Website – 62 King Street Flats/CAB Application

Nairn River Community Council has again submitted an Objection to this as Statutory Consultee
you can find this posted below

July2020NairnRiverCC objection 2000338/FUL KIngStreetCABFlats

As you will see from our response we believe that this is still the wrong building in the wrong place, and incompatible with the priorities of the Nairn Community Town Centre Plan 2015 which were agreed with Highland Council in collaboration with Nairn residents and local community groups.
You can read the detail of this plan below.

Nairn Community Town Centre Plan 2015

The 3 priority themes were to
1/ Improve High Street environment and expand activities (including regeneration of upper floors for housing)
2/Make better use of area between King Street and High Street (including bringing old Police Buildings back into use)
3/Improve walking and cycling links between Nairn town centre and surroundings

In March 2020 Nairn River Community Council submitted an Objection to the previous Application for the newbuild flats and CAB, and opposed demolition of the former Police Station buildings.
We are glad to report that this demolition will not now go ahead, allowing scope for alternative proposals to repurpose these heritage buildings, as per the Town Centre Plan.
We also know of many underused and empty buildings in and around the High Street which could be used for social housing and to rehouse the CAB without building anything new.

As previously notified an outline bid for Regeneration funding has recently been submitted to the Scottish Government by NICE with backing of the Highland Council, BID and the two Nairn town Community Councils, with a view to renovating the Old Police buildings for future community use.
Other funding avenues are also being explored to regenerate our Town Centre and help Nairn’s local economy to recover at this crucial time.

Working Together for Nairn’s Regeneration and Economic Recovery

The two Nairn ‘town’ Community Councils (Nairn River, and West and Suburban) have recentlyissued a joint press release to reaffirm their commitment to working together with Nairn BID (Business Improvement District) and NICE (Nairn’s Community Enterprise Trust), Highland Council and other local community partners.
With 1 in 4 jobs in Nairn dependent on the tourist industry, the Nairn economy faces an uncertain future and there is an urgent need to work together to retain and create Nairn jobs and to help Nairn businesses thrive and adapt in the new ‘post COVID’ world

Our current priorities are to develop a joint plan for economic recovery and to progress the regeneration of Nairn town centre.

Here is the press release issued in June 2020 by Nairn BID

This joint ‘community led’ approach has already worked well in getting the Links Development off the ground with work now underway, in partnership with Highland Council, to transform the old Paddling Pool into a modern ‘Splash Pad’ using funds from Team Hamish (with NICE support) and Nairn’s Common Good Fund.
Future phases of improvements round the Links area to fulfil the Team Hamish vision are on the drawing board with more opportunities ahead for community input as they develop.

NICE has recently submitted a Regeneration Capital Grant Fund bid to the Scottish Government with backing from Highland Council, to redevelop the old Police Buildings and deliver on key aims of Nairn’s Town Centre Plan agreed with community input in 2015.
NICE is also actively exploring with BID and other partners including Community Councils a range of other funding options (such as Community Asset Transfer) to help retain and develop Nairn’s Victorian heritage buildings and other assets for community, business and visitor use, and housing.

As these joint initiatives move forward we want to make sure that Local Community Councils are ‘at the table’, so that local residents are fully consulted to get the best for Nairn and Nairnshire.

Agenda and public invitation for 12 May online meeting of Nairn River Community Council

As advertised in today’s Nairnshire Telegraph , Nairn River Community Council will be holding an online public meeting next Tuesday 12th May from 7.30 – 9.30 pm. Here is the Agenda

AGENDA for Nairn River Community Council online meeting 12 May 2020

Any member of the public in Nairn wishing to attend/observe the online meeting should send an email with their first name, name of street and post code to nrcc.online@outlook.com and request the link to join the meeting. There will be time for public questions if technology permits.

(Note that this meeting was cut short due to technical and internal difficulties and we are not planning any more online public meetings until we can iron these out and include everyone.)

We will continue to keep you informed and in touch with local issues on this website
and have added a new Community Information page to keep you updated during current lockdown which will signpost you to local sources of support and information

Your 12 local Community Councillors are still here to help you so please contact them if you want to report or discuss any community or Planning issue relating to the Nairn River area

Please address any media enquiries to chair@nairnrivercc.org or secretary@nairnrivercc.org

( Post script these email addresses have now changed to chair.nrivercc@gmail.com or info.nrivercc@gmail.com

Nairn River Community Council Lockdown update and March 10th Minutes

We hope that everyone is staying safe at home and keeping well in these strange times.

Since 23rd March Nairn River Community Council has been in lockdown, but members have remained active working from home and continue to serve the local community.

Our members have had a steep ‘learning curve’ mastering online meetings using the Cisco Webex platform, and trying out Google voting to make decisions by email .

With public meetings cancelled, our members agreed to donate £125 from our operational grant (usually spent on room hire, and press adverts), to the newly formed Nairn Task Force to fund ID badges for community volunteers helping vulnerable local households with shopping and deliveries.
For more information on this see our Community Information page on this website

Community Councillors have continued in lockdown to respond by phone and email to individual residents\’ concerns and questions and we have kept a close eye on Planning matters.

After a \’practice run\’ on 7 April – we held our first online meeting on 14th April with 8 of our 12 members present, plus 4 members of West and Suburban CC

Agenda for online meeting of NRCC – 14 April 2020

At that meeting we approved the minutes of our last Public Meeting

Minutes of NRCC 10 March 2020 AGM (2018/19) and Ordinary Meeting

Members agreed to write to Highland Council to ask that decisions on two controversial local Planning Applications, for a new CAB and flats in King Street on the site of the old Community Centre, and for FIT housing at Cawdor Road, be deferred during lockdown along with progress of the Local Development Plan, until we have the chance to assess the long term impact of this health crisis on our local community and economy.

Community Councils had already been notified by Highland Council since lockdown that the

consultation on proposed Car Parking Charges for Nairn is now on hold.

We also agreed to submit a new objection as Statutory Consultee to the revised FIT Housing Application – to support objections from Environmental Health and Gordon\’s Sawmill lodged since our last meeting 10th March, which indicate that noise mitigation measures proposed by the developer were not going to be adequate to protect residents.

Since the 14th April meeting, at very short notice, members also agreed a further letter to Highland Council to be sent jointly with West and Suburban CC on 27th April, objecting to proposed changes to the Planning process by Highland Council Planners.

These changes, notified to us on 23rd April for immediate effect on 28th April, would allow Planning Applications to be approved behind closed doors by only two people , the Planning Committee Chair and the relevant Planning Officer, bypassing scrutiny of the full planning committee.

Many Councillors raised objections to this, as well as the 2 Nairn Community Councils.

Our current understanding is that decisions on the following Planning Applications are now deferred until a full meeting of South Planning Applications Committee can be held.

1/ 20/00338/FUL A new CAB and flats on the footprint of the old Community Centre on King Street with proposed demolition of adjacent Old Social Work Building/former Police Station, and

2/ 20/00493/FUL the FIT Homes development at Cawdor Road proposed by Albyn Housing

( follow Planning website links above for further information including NRCC objections)

Our next meeting will be held online on 12th May at 7.30 when we invite the public to join us

Watch this space and the Nairnshire Telegraph for details of future meetings
We have now created a new Community Information page on this website to keep you updated during current lockdown and beyond- this will signpost you to local sources of support and information

Nairn River CC Next Meeting 7 30 Tuesday 10 March

Nairn River Community Council is holding its next public meeting on Tuesday 10th March at Nairn Community and Arts Centre from 7 30 . All welcome
Here is the AGENDA . Lots to talk about from Town Centre developments and possible demolitions to proposed Parking Charges which are back on Highland Council\’s agenda again this year

Nairn River Community Council back up and running Feb 2020

Nairn River Community Council is now back up and running in 2020 after a year off

Our first meeting was in February
Minutes of meeting February 11th 2020
Our next two public meetings are Tuesday March 10th and Tuesday April 14th* both at 7 30 at Nairn Community and Arts Centre ( *due to lockdown members met online on 14 April)

Please send your concerns and questions to secretary@nairnrivercc.org or chair@nairnrivercc or contact any of our 12 newly elected volunteer members, listed below
( see our Members page for contact details)

Tommy Hogg ( Chair) chair@nairnrivercc.org
Hamish Bain (Vice Chair)
Mandy Lawson ( Secretary) secretary@nairnrivercc.org
Veronica Mackinnon ( Treasurer)
Steven Bain
Peter Gibson
Ian Gordon
Simon Noble
Paul McIvor
Stewart Stansfield
David Thomson
Katrina Woods

Nairn River CC represents around 5600 residents of Fishertown, High Street, Lochloy, Merryton, Balmakeith, Broadhill, Boathpark,Househill, Queenspark and Mill Road areas .If you are not sure if you live in our patch see the map of Nairn River territory
Nairn West and Suburban Community Council represents the rest of the former Nairn \’Royal Burgh\’

A Community Council is a \’statutory consultee\’, with a public duty to monitor all Highland Council Planning and Licensing applications in our area and submit comments as required to reflect the concerns and best interests of local residents.
Community Councillors are elected by the public but unlike Highland Councillors who are paid – they are volunteers and do this work in their own time.

Nairn\’s 4 elected Highland Councillors Laurie Fraser, Tom Heggie, Liz Macdonald and Peter Saggers are ex-officio members of the Community Council which means they can attend but do not vote.

You will find latest information on our meetings and activities here online, in the Nairnshire Telegraph and on public noticeboards at Castle Square, the Library and Community and Arts Centre.

We are working hard on improving communication with the local community to make sure that your voice is heard and that your views and needs are fully reflected in local authority Plans

Please contact members anytime with your local concerns and questions and tell us what you think about local housing, infrastructure (roads, drains, sewerage), public services and amenities in the Nairn River area.

Additional Meeting of NRCC 20 February 2019

Here is the Agenda for the next public meeting of Nairn River Community Council to be held at Nairn Community and Arts Centre on Wednesday 20th February at 7pm
Agenda for Nairn River CC 20 February 2019
This is an additional meeting to our earlier published schedule
Here are minutes of last meeting 23 January 2019

Agenda for Meeting of Nairn River Community Council 23 January 2019

Here is the Agenda for the next public meeting of Nairn River Community Council to be held at Nairn Community and Arts Centre on Wednesday 23rd January at 7pmAgenda for NRCC 23 Jan 2019
We would particularly welcome local residents interested in putting their names forward for the Community Council elections this November to represent the Nairn River community.
(more information below about what we do)
Here also are the Minutes of our last 2 meetings
Minutes NRCC 21 Nov 2018
Minutes Joint NRCC meeting with WSCC 19 Dec 2018

Community Councils Review by Highland Council
Highland Council has approved at a special meeting on 16th January 2019 a period of consultation on the recently published 2018-19 Review of Community Councils Scheme of Establishment
Click on the link here for a summary of the main proposals and changes which affect the 5 Nairn and Nairnshire Community Councils , which we will be discussing at Wednesday\’s meeting.

Next Community Council elections – November 2019
Note that the next elections for Community Council members are due in November this year.
Nairn River Community Council will require to elect 12 members this year.
We would encourage people living in our \’patch\’ to get involved – and stand for election to represent your community.
If interested in nominating yourself or a friend as a future Community Council member please get in touch with secretary@nairnrivercc.org.
We will need more than 12 nominations for there to be a contested election in November, so get your name in the frame to support local democracy.
Please also feel free to come and introduce yourself at one of our 2019 public meetings to learn how we work and see what our volunteer members have to deal with.
2019 meeting dates confirmed so far are as follows all Wednesdays at 7pm
20 Mar, 15 May, 19 June(AGM), 17 July, 18 Sept, 19 Nov

What are Community Councils?
Community Councils were brought in by the Local Government Act of 1973 to replace Scottish Parish Councils.
Community Councils in Scotland are quite different from \’Parish Councils\’ in England and Wales who have control over sizeable budgets for spending in the local area.

Community Councils are run by unpaid volunteers
Community Councillors do not have a vote at Highland Council or other local authority(eg NHS Highland, Police Scotland)
Community Councils do not have a \’local budget\’ to spend.
After last year\’s 60% cut our current grant only covers basic meeting and admin costs
Community Councils are not a legally incorporated organisation so cannot run local projects
Community Councils receive a grant from Highland Council but operate independently of it.
Community Councils are principally a communication channel, providing a voice for local citizens and community in public consultation on planning and delivery of local infrastructure and services

Highland Council and Nairn
Since the closure of Nairn\’s local District Council based at the Courthouse in 1996, \’Nairn and Cawdor\’ is one of 21 Highland Council \’Wards\’ in a region which covers half of Scotland.
This locality (Nairn and Nairnshire) is represented by 4 elected Highland Councillors out of a total of 74 Councillors who have votes at Highland Council meetings in Inverness.
Unlike Community Councillors, who are volunteers, Highland Councillors are paid a salary.
Highland Councillors are non voting members of local Community Councils in their Ward.