Christmas comes early for Scapa Crescent objectors

December 16, 2022 at 5:12 pm

Fraser Anderson, who runs Orkney Hand Crafted Furniture, is one of the objectors. He has said that the council’s proposals to stop-up Scapa Crescent would be damaging for his business.

Scottish Ministers have sided with objectors, and against the council, in a long-running planning wrangle over plans to permanently close off a short stretch of a Kirkwall street.

In their move to redevelop Garden House — the former offices of NHS Orkney prior to their move to The Balfour — Orkney Islands Council (OIC) want to convert part of Scapa Crescent into a car park.

The revamp of the building received the thumbs-up at a meeting of the authority’s planning committee in August 2021.

But, in February, the advertising of the stopping-up order for Scapa Crescent triggered a referral to the Scottish Government due to four unresolved objections.

Today, a decision has been issued, with Scottish Ministers agreeing with their planning reporter that the stopping-up order is not essential for the redevelopment of Garden House. As they do not deem this essential, the test of necessity which is required in these matters has not been met.

The decision notice also says that the council has not adequately assessed “the wider impact of the proposal, especially road safety.”

For the full story, see next week’s edition of The Orcadian.