YOUR VIEWS: Calm down, drivers
I live in Church Terrace in Newtonmore where 20mph speed restrictions have been imposed much to the appreciation of residents.
However, this speed limit is rarely recognised, and currently due to roadworks on the Main Street, subject to increased traffic, including HGVs, who also tend to ignore the limit.
This is a side street running parallel to the main street, not built to the specifications of a main thoroughfare, so the road surface is deteriorating.
A neighbour contacted the council to suggest road-calming measures might be put in place to resolve the issue, but was told this could not be done because of snow plough access.
I know of calming measures in similar areas in Aviemore where snow ploughs are able to pass, so this answer is questionable.
The other day, the new Flexibus service used the street.
I had a look at the surface of the street yesterday and it is breaking up.
The camber on the road has gone and when there is heavy rain mud is being washed into my driveway.
There is a drain across the road.
There is also a problem for me personally, that if water overflows from the drain across the street during downpours, the puddle created in my garden may not be hygienic.
I would appreciate some help in bringing this matter to the attention of local authorities.
Sandra Anderson
Kingussie
The Strathy asked local Highland councillor and chairman of the Badenoch and Strathspey local area committee Russell Jones to comment on the suggestion for calming measures.
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He responded: “‘I’m pleased that the 20mph speed limit has been well received by residents in Church Terrace, as it has been in most residential areas in Badenoch and Strathspey as far as I’m aware.
“It is unfortunate that the essential road works on the Main Street will be causing some people to think it’s quicker to head along Church Terrace and hopefully when these works are finished the problem won’t be so bad.
“However, if residents of Church Terrace still feel they would like traffic calming measures installed I personally can’t see why that would be a problem for snow ploughs.
“But would be interested to hear roads engineers reasoning.”
The Strathy asked the roads department at Highland Council to make its own observations but a spokesperson told us they could add nothing but that speeding concerns should be directed to Police Scotland.
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What the STL?
In February at Aviemore Highland Council advised holiday home operators whose STL applications commenced prior to the control area that:
1. The council accepted no planning was required in terms of control zone statute
2. Concerning applications stuck in the process - in my case since April 2023 - submitted because everyone believed they required planning planning: officials were going to be in touch asking if the applicants wished to withdraw or if they wanted a free transfer to a certificate of lawfulness, confirming the existing planning use with no need for change.
Nobody has been in touch with me. Am I alone in this or is there anyone else they haven’t been in touch with?
From the outset I have stated the way forward for holiday home regulation was for the council to do following:
• Use the controlled area for controlling new STL commenced after the creation of the controlled area;
• Issue licences for safety, guest behaviour control and the like.
It is an extreme step to remove existing businesses prior to control area status - the government can do it, but then any empowering legislation must expressly state that, so that Parliament knows that is what it is voting for.
How can they argue openly that the “greater good” justifies removal of the widower retiree’s only income, that thousands of operators - 70 per cent of them women - should lose their business, their livelihoods , with no compensation?
The council must surely take account of the effects on our tourist industry, the economy, investor confidence in Scotland and those who investment prior to the creation of the control zone was regarded as a legitimate business.
You would hope that if Parliament had been expressly advised of this it would have given cause to reflect.
That is, in effect, what Lord Braid used in determining that Scottish Government legislation was prospective not retrospective - the fundamental rule of statutory interpretation is that all legislation is interpreted as prospective unless expressly stated otherwise.
Now councils are arguing that Lord Braid’s ruling only applies to planning legislation, not licensing, that licensing requires planning or certificate of lawfulness to grant a licence even for properties in use as holiday home before the controlled area came into effect - in other words, retrospective planning.
It’s a nonsense argument. Yes, Lord Braid was only asked about the planning legislation, but the same principle applies.
The councils are weaponising a planning principle of “material change of use” - in the case of Edinburgh and others to bring in a ban on STL, to remove retrospectively, despite no new powers having been given by government.
It is to be hoped that Highland is not following that warped reasoning.
There is a history of over 70 years of homes being used as holiday let in Badenoch and not regarded as “material change of use”.
It is obvious this is not.
Lawful damage is happening right now - operators are being removed. Is this to become another Post Office scandal, taking 20 years to get compensation?
Give existing operators grandmother rights. Control future new holiday lets through controlled area status, control safety and guest behaviour through licensing.
It’s not rocket science - let’s get this sorted and please can we get this offer of certificate of lawfulness as promised and let us all get on with the holiday home business which is and has been a huge success for our local economy, without threat of unlawful removal hanging over our heads.
Gordon Thomson
Kingussie.
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Cut it out!
The proposed extra charges for using Grantown's Square are, in fact, against the interests of locals, tourists and retail and hotel businesses. It is a terrible policy, to no-one's benefit.
Taxes are gathered and debts are run up by politicians elected to get the best deals for us voters.
The authorities, always tending to spend rather than save on budgets, need to get their spending down by cutting outlays on the most dispensable expenditures.
I suggest that local councils should identify spending on their own running costs, any "woke" policies and on endeavours to offset climate change, as optional luxuries.
If our Scottish local authorities want to tax local businesses directly or indirectly, they must restrict taxes to meet the costs of obvious benefits to the business and general community.
For realistic examples, wokery and climate change spending cannot help the local community whom the politicos were elected to serve.
At all election hustings, voters should always ask and judge the candidates on what they would try to save taxed money and to justify the expenditures they do propose.
Charles Wardrop,
Viewlands Rd West
Perth.
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Sign up!
The morning after the general election, July 5 , will be a historic moment for the UK. Whether it is delivered by a re-elected or newly elected Prime Minister, their speech to the nation will be a moment of national significance.
It's a moment that should be accessible to every voter, including the 87,000-srong deaf community who use British Sign Language.
It has been excluded during key broadcasts from No. 10 because of the lack of a BSL interpreter.
A public service announcement is just that, but by not including deaf people the PM denies their right to have the information at the same time.
RNID has written to both Sir Kier Starmer and Rishi Sunak offering them the use of our interpreter. I encourage Strathy readers to sign our letter to make this election inclusive of everyone at rnid.org.uk
Michael Quinlan
Advocacy Manager
RNID.
