News / Halcrow to appeal Utnabrake refusal
A SHETLAND developer has vowed to appeal against the local council’s decision to refuse his application to build 21 houses at Utnabrake, north of Scalloway, on Wednesday.
Shetland Islands Council’ planning board also refused outline permission to develop a mixture of affordable housing, private dwellings and an industrial estate adjacent to the site.
Developer John Halcrow condemned the report before board members as “disgraceful” and “full of inaccuracies” and said he was confident an appeal to Scottish ministers would be successful.
The application was originally submitted by Mr Halcrow’s building firm JHB Ltd in January, when the planning board deferred a decision for further information to be presented and to await a decision on a related appeal at Veensgarth, in Tingwall..
JHB went into liquidation the following month, blaming the planners decision. Since then Mr Halcrow and Robert Manson have purchased the rights to the Utnabrake plans from the liquidator KPMG.
On Wednesday planning officers recommended both applications be refused, saying the application was premature, poor in design and layout and would be on good agricultural land.
Development manager John Holden told the board that Mr Halcrow had still not submitted all the documentation requested, although he had come some way to meet the council’s requests.
SIC Head of roads Ian Halcrow told the meeting that his department had received inadequate information to be able to recommend approval of the application.
The nine board members entered a lengthy discussion during which they considered another deferral, partial approval and outright refusal.
Eventually Shetland South member Jim Budge moved to grant permission for the 21 houses to help address the huge demand for housing in the area, but to refuse the larger, more speculative, development.
Vice chairman Gary Robinson said he wanted to see both applications refused, saying Mr Halcrow should have been able to submit a better application given the eight months time available to him.
Mr Halcrow tried to speak during the meeting to challenge the 32 page report but was silenced by chairman Frank Robertson.
At the end the board voted five to four to refuse both applications. The decision will have to be ratified by the full council on 15 September.
After the meeting Mr Halcrow said: “We are disappointed that the planning board has made the decision they have.
“We have been aware from the outset of the report. I asked the chairman to have the opportunity to give a presentation with regard to the report submitted, and that was refused.
“Our main concern is that we feel it was a disgraceful report. It was full of in consistencies, contradictions and inaccuracies and I look forward to an opportunity to address those points. We will appeal the decision and see where it goes from there.”
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