Open meeting to be held in planning wrangle over Wick turning area
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Residents are being invited to an open meeting to discuss their concerns over plans by a local charity that would reduce the size of a turning area in a Wick cul-de-sac.
People living in the Macleod Road area claim that the proposal by young carers' project Caithness Klics to reposition a gate at its new base will "cause a major problem" for car owners as well as delivery vehicles and emergency services.
Pat Ramsay, the charity's vice-chairperson, says she fails to see why residents are "making such an issue" over it. Letters of invitation are being sent out ahead of an open meeting in Klics' premises on September 9.
The charity has sought permission to alter the entrance and boundary, erect an office building and site a storage container at the former Playbox Playgroup. Six objections were lodged, all highlighting the reduction of turning space at the location near the former Hillhead Primary School.
Members of Highland Council's north planning applications committee were asked by officials to grant the application at an online meeting on August 10. However, a motion by Councillor Raymond Bremner (Wick and East Caithness) to defer the application was carried by eight votes to four, with a request that plans are submitted showing the reinstatement of the gate in its original position.
The application will go before the committee again at its next meeting on September 14.
One objector wrote: "Historically and for many years, the entrance has been used as a turning point for the majority of car-owning residents of the street, and also delivery vehicles and emergency services. The new outwardly extended point will therefore cause a major problem for all concerned."
Another expressed "grave concerns", saying: "At present Macleod Road is a no through road and a turning point is essential in this street. Our needs have to be taken into consideration as there are 33 dwelling houses in Macleod Road and most have cars."
One of the other objectors claimed that reducing the size of the turning area would mean "huge disruption" for deliveries, adding: "There is also the issue this will cause for emergency vehicles entering our street... This street has lack of parking at present and we rely on being able to turn there."
Councillor Bremner told committee members that the Macleod Road area is heavily built up with “a lot of people living there with lots of kids”. He added: “I tend to sympathise with some of the concerns that have been raised."
The charity's plans would allow more space for staff parking and for the Klics minibus.
Planning manager Dafydd Jones told members that the gate would be moved about two metres forward.
“The proposal in itself doesn't remove the turning area which has been the cause of concerns but it does reduce its depth," Mr Jones said. "It'll still allow 4.7 metres from the edge of the gate to the edge of the road and 10.6 from the edge of the gate to the other side of the road, and will allow most vehicles to be able to manoeuvre within that location.”
In an email to the three Highland councillors for Wick and East Caithness this week, Mrs Ramsay wrote: "As vice-chairperson of Caithness Klics, I’m writing to invite you to an open meeting with Macleod Road residents to discuss the ongoing problem regarding 'the turning area' at our premises.
"I find it unbelievable that the planning application has been deferred and cannot see any reason why residents are making such an issue about the improvements being made by a forward-thinking local charity."
The open meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 9, at 6.30pm. Letters of invitation are being sent to residents and councillors.
Mrs Ramsay told the John O'Groat Journal: “We wanted to have a meeting that is open and upfront and chaired correctly, so that everybody's voice is heard and then we can move forward. Ultimately we want what's going to be best for Caithness Klics.
“The whole reason that it is being extended is to give a better entrance into the car park.
“Klics have done such an amazing job. They have done a complete transformation inside as well as a complete transformation outside and are trying to make it a place that's warm and welcoming for the children that they're working with.”
