Controversial plans for a new café outside Oban are set to rumble on after a motion to continue the planning process was passed by a single vote.
A public hearing took place at the Corran Halls on Tuesday in relation to Shaun Sinclair’s plans for land west of Inverlusragan in Connel.
Although planning officers recommended the application should be refused because of the impact they said it would have on an open space protection area, Argyll and Bute Council’s Planning, Protective Services and Licensing Committee were torn over its merits.
In the end, a roll call vote saw a motion to continue the process, allowing councillors to seek advice on a competent motion which would allow them to grant planning permission, win by seven votes to six against an amendment to refuse.
The matter will now be discussed more at a future meeting of the same committee, which is next due to convene on February 21.
Councillor Graham Hardie (Liberal Democrat, Helensburgh Central) said he was in favour of accepting the recommendation to refuse planning permission.
Councillor Keiron Green (Independent, Oban North and Lorn) was in agreement with Councillor Hardie.
He said: "I think there has been quite a bit of mention around the OSPA and how various locations are inter-dependent on each other. We have to look at the impact on the whole area. Some of the concerns from neighbours could be put down to any development having some impact.
“But this is a wider problem, and for me, that is insurmountable in terms of being able to incorporate this into the local development plan."
Councillor Andrew Kain (Independent, Oban South and the Isles) had a contrary view.
He added: "I would go with this application. We need to look at how we get commercial development into Argyll and Bute. If we continue knocking everything back it will carry on along the road of decline.”
Councillor John Armour (SNP, South Kintyre) wanted to support the application and said if there was a way around the OSPA, he wanted to find it.
He said: “We need to do everything we possibly can to ensure we can support this application. It may be through continuing the hearing, but I want to find a way, if possible, we can support the application."
Councillor Kain added: “If we are being stopped by legislation, and I can understand people’s reluctance to go against it, we need to really look at the whole situation.
“The population decline [in Argyll and Bute] will not be reversed unless there is economic activity. I don’t think this should be thrown aside – there must be some way we can at least settle this and look at it more clearly. If this is what planning is going to do to us, we are in trouble.”
Councillor Amanda Hampsey (Conservative, Oban South and the Isles), who chaired the hearing, said: “To my mind, our natural environment should be valued, but I do not think this sets a precedent going forward.
“I am not clear that this development has an excessive impact on the visual amenity of the site, and I feel there is an economic benefit to the community in terms of jobs. I think it may be possible to approve the application, and my motion is that it is continued in order to seek advice.”
After a roll call vote, Councillor Hampsey’s motion was passed by seven votes to six.
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