Housing increase of 28%

Increasing the amount of housing in Callander over a 5-year period by almost 11%, and the entire longer-term period (2009-2020) by nearly a third (28%) would have seemed excessive even before the recession kicked in. Now, it seems ridiculous.

The National Park Authority's housing allocation is derived from a 2002 plan from Stirling Council, and the NPA's Local Plan for Callander exceeds even that. Fair enough, it was drawn up in the boom years, but surely it should have been modified when the depth of the recession and its likely ramifications in employment and the housing market became apparent. But it wasn't.

Actual need is 1%

Nor was it modified when population projections for Scotland by the General Register for Scotland predicted a drop in Scotland's population by 2031 of 5%. People who questioned the Park's desire to increase the amount of housing when the population was actually diminishing were referred by the NPA in their Report on Consultation* - i.e. the first Draft Plan consultation - to the Park Authority's 'Background Report on Population and Housing (February 2010)'. (Note the date, by the way. Clearly the Background Report didn't inform the Draft Local Plan, which was published in 2008.) Anyway, we read it, and on page 7 it says:

"The number of households in LLTNP [National Park] is expected to increase by only 1% (around 30 households). This is an extremely low level of projected growth and equates to roughly one new household per year. The base year for the projections (2006) shows that there are 6,220 households within LLTNP. This is expected to increase to 6,310 by 2026 and then fall to 6,260 by 2031."

So why are they still trying to grow Callander by 28%? We have absolutely no idea. Perhaps they could enlighten us?

Fuzzy logic

It is clear from the Report on Consultation on the first consultation* that the NPA intends to stick to the Plan and that in doing so it assumes that people will still want to move here, despite the recession. The NPA received more than 30 objections to over-development in Callander. Rather than promise a re-think, the Park just said:

"Objection noted. This housing allocation is in keeping with the plan's locational strategy and contributes to the Clackmannanshire and Stirling Structure Plan's (2002) housing land requirements."

Interestingly, one of the comments quoted in the Report on Consultation comes from Stirling Council's Legal Services (p83):

"Ideally, partnerships should arrive at a housing supply targets jointly which will inform housing land allocations in development plans. It is not considered that the NPA is exempt from this requirement, and Stirling Council is not aware that any joint discussions have taken place on such matters to inform the Local Plan."

And on page 220 Stirling Council says:

"Allocating significant numbers of new housing specifically in Callander needs more explanation and justification. Callander serves as a centre for the wider Stirling area, just as settlements in the Stirling area also serve the National Park. An approach to increase housing and other facilities (including tourism) in Callander needs to take cognisance of the proximity of the National Park to the Stirling boundary for planning purposes. A policy which encourages more housing in Callander may have implications for the delivery of housing in the Stirling area and therefore a strategic view of housing requirements to inform future housing land allocations as advocated in SPP3 is considered appropriate."

And then Stirling says on page 590:

"It is noted that significant build is proposed for Callander, and the current primary school infrastructure will be unable to accommodate such significant build plans. A total of approximately 115 pupils would be generated from such development, and this could not be sustained within the current infrastructure."

So it would seem that the only people who are happy about the proposed level of residential development are the National Park and developers.

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* Background Report: Population and Housing (2010) page 7, paragraph 3.4.3. Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority.

** Report on Consultation: Draft Local Plan (March 2010) Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority.