Scottish Ministers
have written to the Highland Council directing that two current planning
applications on sites near the historic Culloden battlefield should be notified
to Scottish Ministers should the council be minded to approve.
In the event that
the council wishes to approve the applications for residential development,
they will now be duty bound to notify the applications to Ministers in the
first instance.
This provides
Ministers with the opportunity to consider whether the developments proposed
raise issues of national significance that would warrant the applications being
called in for a decision to be taken at a national rather than local authority
level.
Planning Minister
Derek Mackay said:
“We value
our historic battlefields, which tell the story of our nation’s past and
continue to be a place of interest and importance for Scots and visitors
alike.
“This is why
we have taken the decision to issue notification directions to the Highland
Council should they wish to approve the outstanding planning applications to
build homes near Culloden battlefield.
“This
direction does not commit Scottish Ministers to calling in any such
application, but it does reserve their right to intervene.
“We have
also set out proposals that will update Scottish Planning Policy to reflect
more recent legislation on the protection and management of
battlefields.
"Our draft
policy, which we consulted on in 2013, makes it clear that planning authorities
should protect, conserve and, where appropriate, seek to enhance the key
landscape characteristics and special qualities of sites on the current
inventory of historic battlefields.
“The
finalised Scottish Planning Policy will be published in June
2014.”
Notes To
Editors
Ministers wrote to
the Highland Council on April 23.
The Scottish Government is currently considering all of the responses to the
draft Scottish Planning Policy and is due to publish the final version in June
2014.
Culloden is on the
Inventory of Battlefields which identifies nationally important battlefields.
That is also reflected in Scottish Historic Environment Policy
(SHEP).