June 23rd 2010

As anticipated, the Park Authority Board today approved the Finalised Draft Local Plan. In briefing papers issued a week before the meeting the Park Authority's Forward Planning Manager recommended that in spite of numerous objections from Callander, the Board should approve the proposals for Callander. No discussion took place about Callander at the meeting; the Board representative for Ward 3 (the owner of one of the sites in Callander allocated by the plan for development) absented himself; and the rest of the Board simply agreed to the Park's recommendations.

In October the Park will deliver the Local Plan (and consultation submissions) to Scottish Ministers, who will appoint a Reporter to consider, over the next six to nine months, whether or not they are going to ratify the Plan or tell the Park to change it. Come next Spring, if the Reporter recommends alterations then the Park must either adopt those changes or ditch the current Plan and start again on a new one.

This is a sad day for Callander. If the National Park gets its way then some of the most beautiful parts of our town will be destroyed by the building of 327 dwellings - 125 in the period 2009-2015, and a further 202 from 2016-2020. Of a total of 747 dwellings proposed in the Local Plan for the whole of the Park area, a staggering 44% are planned for Callander.

As the National Park mentions in the Finalised Draft Local Plan, its main duties under the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 are:

(a) to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area,

(b) to promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area,

(c) to promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public, and

(d) to promote sustainable economic and social development of the area’s communities.

The Act says that if there is a conflict between the first one and any of the others then the duty to "conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area" outweighs all the rest. This is known as the Sandford Principle, and it is the duty of all National Parks in the UK to enforce it.

But somewhere along the way our National Park Authority seems to have forgotten that the Sandford Principle applies to Callander. Apparently they have decided that our town is to be the Local Plan's sacrificial lamb.

Many residents have already complained to the Park, warning them about the dangers of over-development. We have done so, too, in no uncertain terms. The Park Authority has been told about the flooding that plagues Callander, about how the Primary School is full, about how services are stretched to bursting point, about the pitiful state of public transport, and about the lack of employment opportunities in the town. They have also been warned that if they allow Callander's natural environment to be ruined by building on every last scrap of land then our only robust industry - tourism - will collapse because visitors won't want to come here any more.

But, despite their claims to the contrary, they haven't listened. And that's why, back in April, we formed Callander Environmental Conservation Group: to make them take on board what Callander is saying about the Local Plan.

If the Local Plan in its current form is implemented then the Callander we and our visitors know and love will be gone forever. So we're going to keep on fighting. Callander ECG keeps on growing and is a wonderful, savvy group of people who care deeply about Callander's environment and community.

So, are you just going sit back and watch the developers move in, or are you going to help fight for Callander's life?

It's up to you. If our environment is destroyed, so is our economy. If our economy is destroyed then so is our community.

We do hope you'll join us.