BEN LEDI VIEW

1. Environment

The Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park is bound by law to prioritise the conservation of natural beauty and cultural heritage. This is called the Sandford Principle, and it gives the Park Authority its greatest influence, which is to say no to a development if that would upset conservation.

It was agreed that the Draft Callander Conservation Area Appraisal is an excellent description of urban form, landscape and heritage. Unfortunately, the Draft Local Plan does not take into account important aspects of the Appraisal. There is a great danger of losing what we have by over and insensitive development.

Proposed developments seek to infill virtually every available open space within Callander. But that is a city concept not really appropriate for an essentially rural environment. There is a strong case for an appropriate mix of high and low densities, and for open areas with views and aspects that contribute to the character and amenity of the town.

The river Teith Special Area of Conservation (SAC) would be affected by proposals for Churchfields, Auchenlaich, the Gart and Cambusmore. Sites of antiquity would be affected by development of Auchenlaich. The proposed extension of the Conservation Area would be negated by development at Churchfields. Although these facts, amongst several others equally relevant, are noted in the Draft Plan, no justification is given for ignoring their implications.

Local rainfall is increasing by more and at a faster rate than was predicted by earlier studies. The implication for planning is obvious: no low-lying flood-prone areas should be built on.

The Design Guidelines are welcomed, and it was felt that they should be made mandatory. Great disappointment was expressed at the inappropriate design of the new Tannochbrae buildings.

2. Housing

Callander has about 20% of the Park's population, but the Draft Local Plan proposes that about 50% of all new housing in the whole of the National Park be allocated to Callander. No argued explanation was given for this, as the Draft Plan suggests that the demographics of an aging population in step with national and European trends, and applying to the entire Park, will be stopped in Callander. Following the Park's logic, it could therefore be concluded that the ten settlements in the National Park (including Aberfoyle) that are to have no significant housing growth are doomed to become deserted in due course.

All correspondents were horrified at the scale of proposed housing development in Callander. It was strongly felt that the scale of proposals were completely unjustified and would alter Callander excessively.

For at least 250 years in Scotland people have voluntarily moved to areas of better employment opportunity, often leaving affordable homes to do so. There is no evidence that the provision of additional homes leads directly to increased local employment. The provision of more houses without commensurate growth in jobs is likely to provide more second homes and more homes for commuters. There would be serious risks to the stability and cohesion of the community if incomers without jobs occupied the additional affordable housing stock.

A substantial increase in the population would require and increase in the infrastructure, sewerage, water supply, and school places. Dental and medical practices are all currently at capacity of over-subscribed. Callander's sewage works are next to the River Teith, at risk of flooding and of potentially disastrous overflow. None of this is addressed in the Draft Plan.

Nor does the Plan take into account that much of the existing housing stock is occupied by people well over the age of 60, many in single occupancy, and that these houses will, by natural progression, come on to the market well before 2020.

The present economic situation has invalidated the Park Authority's population projections and their forecast housing needs. The Park Authority must calculate real needs before finalising the Plan.

3. Economic Development

The Draft Plan does not include any analysis of the current economic activity of households. There is no estimate of current commuter numbers, or projections of these. That topic is ignored. It is almost as though the Draft Plan was based on the assumption that all residents of working age were employed in the town.

The Draft Plan is vague about the provision of local employment opportunities and of premises for local business enterprise. This vagueness is deeply disturbing because of its relationship with the proposed vast increase in housing.

Most local businesses depend directly or indirectly on tourism. There is a current need for workshops for the existing population, but to vaguely suggest that any significant 'light industry' could be attracted to Callander is to ignore the many competing sites nearer markets, some with financial support available. In any case, it seems inconceivable that a few small workshops could support the huge number of proposed incoming families.

Help should be given to arts and crafts activities in the Park that could produce local items and perhaps attract tourists, and this of course should not be restricted to Callander.

The type of self-contained time-share hotel and self-catering accommodation proposed in the Draft Local Plan — presumably like Forrest Hills — would, by its very nature, be seasonal. In the unlikely event that they employed significant numbers of locals that employment, too, would be seasonal. Along with worries about the environmental impact, respondents were unconvinced that these proposals would bring much benefit to the town.

4. Sustainable Tourism and Recreation

Here it was felt that the planners had failed to identify the type of tourists that are already attracted, and potentially could be attracted, to Callander. None of this is analysed or quantified. Day-trippers, caravan park users and visitors staying in bed and breakfasts are the bulk of present tourists. These visitors must not be discouraged. The Gart caravan park should be retained.

There is a commonality of interests between visitors and residents that should be nurtured. Additional facilities should be provided, such as a sign posted Heritage Trail and the renovated St Kessog's Centre. Shop-fronts should be renovated and be brought more into keeping with the design guidelines. Leaflets on local walks, where to see the Highland Boundary Fault, where to cycle, etc. are needed. Callander's excellent walking and cycling facilities should be exploited.

Hotel development is a top priority: high grade and budget accommodation are urgently needed. The Dreadnought Hotel must be renovated to be a first class hotel and restored to its place as a striking town landmark.

Park Authority support is needed for all these initiatives. It was regretfully noted that the Park office had not been located in St Kessog's.

The large-scale self-contained developments envisaged for the east of the town suggest that visitors will find all they need on-site, virtually outwith the Park, and thus spend less time and money actually in Callander or any of the rest of the Park. It was felt that existing facilities might well be put out of business if these larger sites were developed.

There is considerable local demand and enthusiasm for the provision of allotments.

5. Transport infrastructure

The means of providing adequate and affordable public transport for those who can't find work locally is not addressed at all by the Draft Plan. Residents need public transport to offer a much more coordinated service. Needs include transport within the town, access to other rural areas in the National Park, links to rail and bus networks, and transport to hospitals, especially the new site at Larbert. It is estimated that up to 20% of Callander residents have a disability. It is important that improved accessibility be a major goal of all development.

This summary of readers' responses to the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority's Draft Local Plan first appeared in the Ben Ledi View in May 2009, issue 224.

Both the Draft Local Plan and the Callander Conservation Appraisal are available from the National Park office in the Main Street and online from www.lochlomond-trossachs.org.

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