Thanks to our more than 450 respondents to the NICE Initial Community Survey, we can see the main focus headers for all of us in Nairn.
We will be working to explore how your Local Place Plan responds to these focus areas, and more widely across underpinning themes which cross all of the main focus headings:
Infrastructure First
Our infrastructure considerations will drive scenarios which will allow us to create a dynamic response to the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan and to the broader Highland Wide Local Development Plan. Working within these scenarios, we can focus on key questions.
What if the A96 by-pass is built? What if it isn’t?
What if our sewerage system is upgraded? What if it isn’t?
These questions can be asked across the by-pass, utilities, sewerage, and flood defences when assessing our capacity for more housing, for business opportunity, for employment growth and so on.
Green/ Resilient Nairn
Ensuring that we consider a future for Nairn that responds to climate change, embraces renewable energy, and drives a low carbon centre.
When we consider a Green/ Resilient Nairn, how does this impact on Employment? What form of employment opportunity can Nairn lead on – future technologies? Clean energy?
Nairn for All Ages
Considering how the Local Place Plan, the IMFLDP, and the HWLDP contribute to a ‘balanced’ age demographic in Nairn, attracting and retaining young families with quality of life and employment opportunities.
In a Nairn for all ages, what does getting around actually mean? Is this cycle paths for our children to safely navigate their way to school? Is this safe pavements, suitable for wheeled access – from prams to mobility buggies? Is it getting to work, without using the car?
Perhaps Nairn for all ages is about creating a sense of place that encourages our young professionals and families to stay in Nairn, to drive local business, and to create a circular economy?
Nairn Led Development
By looking after Nairn’s Common Good Assets, assessing, and developing community ownership to keep existing heritage buildings in public use, whilst working in partnership with local authorities to modernise key public amenities for the 21st century. Nairn led development can foster local governance and decision making, meaning Nairn’s success can be based on the needs and wants of the community.
How can our assets be best used to fulfil our Town Centre development? How does this all work with the Nairn BID team? How can the local business community help make things happen for Nairn? Can these assets be used to grow community engagement?
Whilst our Initial Community Survey is closed, if you have anything you would like to add, to discuss, or to suggest, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us by email at LPP@nicenairn.org.uk, drop in to our Thursday base at the Nairn Community Centre, or direct your thoughts through you local Community Council or Community Group, who we will be working with on 15th January 2024.
I am concerned that Nairn’s infrastructure (while at the top of this page) is not the primary concern across the board! It looks like you’re saying leave the infrastructure to the IMFLDP and the HWLDP? particularly where it relates to roads.
Nairn needs infrastructure investment first!
Our sewars are fit to burst!
The water pressure and water quality is poor!
Broadband/fibre Internet connections in the town extremities but particularly our business parks is intermittent.
Public transport in areas is non existent but poor at best.
In order to attract business to the town, all of the above are required.
Keeping young families in the town, all of the above are required.
Infrastructure is at the heart of everything! get the services right and the rest will fall into place. Without these improvements and upgrades Nairn stands still, youngsters move away to pursue their futures elsewhere and businesses move their premises out of the town….. the death of Nairn.
Hi Morag and thank you for your getting in touch. We are not suggesting or saying that any one thing is a priority, or delegated obligation. This communication campaign is seeking your thoughts on the content of the IMFLDP2. The Nairnshire Local Place Plan is obligated to respond to the Local Development Plan (the IMFLDP2) in order to be incorporated to the evidence base for future planning assessments. If Nairnshire has no voice, the Local Place Plan will fail to respond to the IMFLDP2, leaving the IMFLDP2 alone as the basis for future planning assessments. Should Nairnshire express its concerns that developing any site may defeat the people’s vision of the future of Nairn, or in fact counter the requirements of NPF4, a carbon free future, or restrict access for all through the region, then it is the job of the Local Place Plan to capture those arguments and present them for incorporation by The Highland Council for reference in assessing future applications for any given development area. It may be that some of those arguments or considerations are presented in the LPP as a scenario – in the absence of any prior actions, the communities response to the proposals for any site may be restrictive, whereas should such prior action be completed, the community may be supportive of development of a certain type. As an example, Site X may be included to the LDP for the development of 50 new homes, with pre-planning notes around protecting green space, active travel and so on, but, this may need access onto the A96 at a site of particular congestion. The community may say, that without a resolution to the A96 congestion, such a development would increase the carbon footprint of the town, increase congestion, reduce road safety for non-vehicular traffic, whilst reducing access for all through the town. With a resolution to the A96 congestion, and subject to achieving a path network between destination points, the community would be supportive of such a development. These scenarios will be key to the future successful implementation of the LPP and the IMFLDP2, where a body of evidence can be collected to demonstrate the strength of feeling, and therefore, priorities, of Community Actions (which may be a part of a wider Community Action Plan, whose foundations may be the Local Place Plan), and where planning may allow, restrict, or condition the development of any site.