We have learned that the first meeting of the Hunterston Construction Yard Liaison Committee (LC), which is required as part of the Conditional Planning Permission to allow use of the site for decommissioning of large marine structures at the site, will take place on Monday 18th March 2019, 2pm at Clydeport, Hunterston,
What does the Planning Consent say about the Liaison Committee? Condition 8 of the Conditional Planning Permission states: ‘That within 3 months of the date of the consent, a draft Code of Practice for the operation of the construction, repair and decommissioning of Marine Structures, hereby approved, shall be submited for the approval in writing by North Ayrshire Council as Planning Authority. The draft Code of Practice shall include the formation of a Liaison Committee, which shall comprise of local councillors local community group members, the site operator and other interested parties; and should include the timescales for the meetings of the liaison committee. The development shall thereafter be undertaken in accordance with any Code of Practice as approved by North Ayrshire Council (NAC) as Planning Authority.’
Peelports have been given a pivotal role in the LC having been given the responsibility for drawing up the draft Terms of Reference (ToR) and providing the secretariat of the meeting; they will also have three representatives at the LC.
Fundamental to the credibility of the LC is the appointment of an Independent Chair. This is underlined by the planning dept of North Ayrshire Council (NAC) in their letter dated 18th February 2019 (NAC Ref 17/01273/PP) to the Group Planning Director of Peel Ports Group, which confirms approval of the draft ToR for the LC and importantly includes the condition that ‘the Independent Chair shall be appointed by the Liaison Committee’.
Seeking Clarification: The Friends of the Firth of Clyde have written to NAC to ask more about the selection of the Independent Chair, the ToR; membership; governance and public attendance.
Read our letter below:
Who is attending? We have asked for a list of members, our current understanding is that the community councils for Largs; West Kilbride; Fairlie; Skelmorlie & Cumbrae will each have a representative. There is no inclusion of local community groups or other interested parties as referenced in the draft ToR. We also would like to know if the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Marine Scotland (MS) will be invited.
Public Attendance: We think the Liaison Committee should be set up using the model of good practice that the Hunterston Nuclear Power Station uses which allows public attendance and includes the full range of local and regulatory stakeholders.
What can you do? Contact the Chair of your Community Council and ask who is attending the meeting on 18th March 2018. Ask how they will be representing the views of the community and what they understand them to be. Ask them to motion for public attendance.
Let your views be known.
5th March 2019