COMHAIRLE NAN EILEAN SIAR

SITE VISIT SUB-COMMITTEE

DOG KENNELS, BAYHEAD, NORTH UIST

Minute of Meeting held at the Animal Centre, Bayhead, North Uist, on Thursday, 21 December 2000 at 11.30am

PRESENT	Mr Donald Maclean (Chairman)
	Mrs Mary Bremner
	Mr Ronald Mackinnon
	Mr Donald Manford
APOLOGIES	Mr James L Macarthur

Appointment of Chairman	1	CONSTITUTION The Principal Administrator chaired the meeting and called for nominations for Chairman of the Meeting. It was agreed to appoint Mr Donald Maclean as Chairman of the Sub-Committee.
Dog Kennels at Bayhead, North Uist	2	PLANNING APPLICATIONS With reference to item 220 of the Minute of Meeting of the Development Services Committee of 22 November 2000, the Acting Director of Environmental Services submitted a Report concerning an application for planning permission for alterations and change of use from stables to dog kennels at the Animal Centre, Bayhead, North Uist. The Report gave background information in relation to the application and indicated that no representations had been received. The Chairman invited Mr Alastair Banks, Principal Planning Officer, to address the meeting and answer Members' questions in relation to the application site. Mr Banks responded to Members' questions. The meeting adjourned at 12.10pm and reconvened in DERA Hebrides Ranges, Balivanich, Benbecula, at 12.45pm, where the following Members were found to be present:

		Mr Donald Maclean (Chairman)
		Mrs Mary Bremner
		Mr Ronald Mackinnon
		Mr Donald Manford
			It was agreed to recommend that the Acting Director of Environmental Services be authorised to refuse planning permission for alterations and change of use from stables to dog kennels at the Animal Centre, Bayhead, North Uist, for the following reasons: (1) the proposed dog kennels would be likely to give rise to noise and disturbance from barking. This is likely to be an intermittent noise that could occur at any time during the day or night. It is likely that it would disturb the residents of nearby houses to an unacceptable degree;
			(2) the nuisance identified in reason (1) would be exacerbated by the generally quiet character of the area, especially at night. The proposal would, accordingly, be contrary to the advice contained in Planning Advice Note 56 "Planning and Noise"; (3) for the reasons given above, the proposal would be contrary to policy DC1 of the Uists and Benbecula Local Plan that states: "the Comhairle will seek to ensure that there will be no undue harm to nearby residents by reasons of (inter alia) noise"; and (4) it is considered that the potential problems identified in reasons (1)-(3) above could not be overcome effectively by planning conditions and that, accordingly, the aims in Policy DC3 of the Uists and Benbecula Local Plan could not be met.
___