NO 2 TPO

Man of Action Posted on June 27, 2013 Posted in News

Attempts to confirm a Tree Preservation Order, on non-mature trees, in the Almond Valley, have been halted. Pearson Planning, Chartered Surveyors objected to the Order on behalf of a local landowner. The local planning authority stated it wished to protect an extensive area of woodland. Independent urveys suggested that the Order should be modified to protect specific tree groupings, rather than a blanket ban. It is thought that local residents had lobbied for the Order, so as to obscure their views of a main railway line.

Edinburgh, 12 November, and Ivan McKee MSP announced to the national assembly that work on introducing a Community Infrstructure Levy in Scotland is “stopped”. Ivan ‘the terrible’ McKee recognised that the Levy was not welcome. There is a general acceptance, too, that much needed house building is being stalled by disproportionate obligation demands, and as Ivan says “unpredictable, costly and lengthy” planning application processes. McKee, branded ‘the terrible’ because of His handling of public finances north of the Cheviots, offers only one solution: higher planning fees! Genius! Increasing (again) authority revenues is not the solution. The vast majority of applications are determined by individual Officers (many of which have no professional qualifications) without the right of appeal. This needs to stop. SNP Government spending for 2023-2024 had a negative fiscal balance of -£22 billion. This must stop.