Questionable planning application . . .

[spiderman]

Hi Seilant, That's OK. But I'm not really in favour of new housing estates (as I said in my first blog here, there are some really worryingly big ones linked to the Lorne plan).

On the other hand, I don't share this fixation here about locals. To me all folk are just the same, locals or otherwise, child-bearers or oldies, workers or retired - all welcome and valued. If we have more of the old, incomer "baby-boomers", then, yes, that's exactly what you'd expect to have in a fairly remote rural community. But welcome it, don't fight it. Anyway, "outsiders" tend to bring in new fresh attitudes and initiative plus a breadth of knowledge and experience previously rare in communities such as ours. Something to welcome and be proud of, not to resent (except by the retro dinosaur Darwinian dregs!).

As to the local businesses, of course they need all the support they can get and I'll fight for nearly all of them. But all I'm saying here is that this particular prawny one, in my opinion, ain't sustainable. Let's have locally fished and distributed seafood but as soon as we try to feed the world from the same small local area, then the stock declines..It's obvious really and, if you go to the Hebrides and buy prawns, you'll soon realise that what they catch here is an inferior product, basically immature animals that haven't had a chance to reach full size. The oyster farms are a totally different matter - very supportable.

Honest, Seilant, I'm on your side really.....

[moonraker]

i work on a boat of craggy island(seil)
i dont care what happens if we run short of fish or prawns we just go on the dole
or buy a canoe and the house next door
p.s you can live without seafood but not kebabs

[Eric the Viking]

linked to the Lorne plan

Where is this place - Lorne?

It's "Lorn" - that's L - O - R - N - note there's no "E"

The first time you mentioned it I gave you the benefit of the doubt - the second time is just IGNORANCE

Please treat the place you choose to live in with a bit more respect and then, maybe, you may get people to treat you the same?

[dubhsgeir]

Spidey stick to subjects that your familiar with anyone with any knowledge of biology would say stop talkin` horse sh't.

[Makes Sense]

"I see there is a new planning application for five houses at Balvicar.

Surely this is ridiculous with the roads in their current state. I for one am sick of the chicanes, mess and ever-increasing number of heavy lorries on the road.

Is this why we are getting new water and sewage, so speculators can create more unaffordable housing?

It is not as if there is any need for more non-affordable housing on the island - at least three larger houses in Balvicar have remained on the market for several months now, so the heat has obvioiusly gone out of the market."

I can't believe your stupid remarks. I posted a reply to your comment aboe. Now I would assume everyone on here can read what you said I simply replied.

Go on then tell us all WHY you don't want anymore development on Seil and Balvicar in particular. As I live in Balvicar and this will likely have an effect on the current value of my property I have no problem with it. Are you just one of the greedy people looking out for themselves. Don't throw in the affoardable housing slant as there is none on Seil and unlikely ever to be again. So go on let us know. Smart Arse.

[Makes Sense]

Seventh Seil says "house prices now are around 50% higher when you take into acount inflation than they were before the property bust in the late eighties.....intrest rates WILL NOT remain this low for ever and finally it is impossible for everyone in britain to own there own home, the property "market" is effectivly legal pyramid selling. As for missing the boat, may be......but if there was adequate provision of rented accomidation in rural areas it wouldn't matter!!!!"

Dead simple affoardable housing can't be built on Seil. Land prices are too expensive now. As for the interest rate you say it won't remain low forever, maybe, but we just had a .25% cut so there goes that argument. LOOK at the bigger picture for goodness sake. You can huff and puff all you want you won't get a cheap house on Seil. Maybe time to leave if you're not happy eh?

[Seil Blubber]

Away and live in Castlemilk or Ardrossan 7th.

No chance of affordable housing on Seil, or indeed anywhere in Argyll. Don't be so silly.

Ironic really as the well to do in their big houses need a whole bunch of minimum wage serfs to maintain their infrastructure. I wonder where they are going to live? Even Poles can't live in holes.

In the past entire new towns were built by philanthropic wealthy landowners and industrialists because they could see beyond their own immediate interests. In the more recent past when said philanthropists were becoming a dying breed the state steppped in and built affordable housing because they realised that the poor had to live somewhere.

Now increases in house prices are a major contributor to the growing mountain of personal debt that is likely to lead to an economic meltdown that will drag the rich down with the poor, but we ignore it because we are Thatcher's children.

You know it Makes Sense

[Pentlandpirate]

Yes Blubber. So is there a philanthropist land owner on Seil who for the sake of the community is prepared to sell some land to a co-operative of local people so that they can build a development of affordable housing in a style and format that is more acceptable to the majority of the community? Such a plan should stand a good chance of getting approval, but if everyone continues to squabble the greedy will sneak in the back door, with their questionable planning approvals get get something stuck in your back yard that you don't like.

Come together as a community and do something positive, before it is too late. Is there any reason why something like this cannot be done?

You know it makes sense.

[spiderman]

linked to the Lorne plan

Where is this place - Lorne?

It's "Lorn" - that's L - O - R - N - note there's no "E"

The first time you mentioned it I gave you the benefit of the doubt - the second time is just IGNORANCE

Please treat the place you choose to live in with a bit more respect and then, maybe, you may get people to treat you the same?

Eric, I think you'll find that Lorne is the original spelling of this area (eg when you Vikings tormented us worse than you do now) and is now a variant.

[novus ordo seclorum]

This post is getting confused and going off at tangents but there are important points which need some kind of mature discussion.

If the five house estate is built it is likely that:

1. The demographics of Seil will shift further either toward an older and economically inactive population or a population which is largely temporary (this latter if the houses are bought as second homes).

2. The traditional culture of Seil will be weakened even further as it is most likely that the buyers will come from well away from the island.

3. Further stress will be put on our services and our roads.

4. Similar applications in the future will have more likelihood of success and we will be closer still to a ribbon development all the way from the bridge to the Cuan crossroads. Some can remenber when you could look south from the bridge and only see four buildings and that is only forty or so years ago.

How do we want the future of Seil to be? If we're all happy with the way it is heading as indicated by this planning application then sobeit. If not then lets object.

[spiderman]

Nice summary!

1) I am happy for the demographics to shift as I do not regard the older generation as a negative influence. They bring knowledge, experience & wisdom and are certainly not economically inactive. Furthermore, they often are mainstays of a community.

2) What traditional culture of Seil is there to weaken? Gaelic speaking? Celtic culture? Please name a few aspects. All I can think of is ceilidhs in the foustie old hall!

3) Agreed about services being stretched but we will only get improved services via new build, new initiatives and general expansion.

4) Agreed that this may lead to other building but, yes, this need not all be bad. Who wants to regress to the island having folk down slate mines, few houses in sight, low life expectancy, no decent shops, no bus, untarred roads etc? The future should be bright and trying to halt initiative and new building is useless and retrograde. Look at the mess the local dinosaurs got everyone into here by even opposing the plans for the new island hall. Set us back years and caused much internal grief. Some people, sadly of the old local brigade, tend to oppose all change for the sake of it.

I have the feeling that I may be in a minority of one on this blog, which seems to favour the conservative dinosaur element, but I just thought your well-summarised contribution, NoS, deserved some kind of response!

Cheers. I'm off-line now for the duration as I'm a bit fed-up getting slagged! Bye all......KAPPppooooooow....

[Seventhseil]

mmm. I do not understand why fish stocks in the outer hebridies are less exploited than here, as there are more boats and even less opportunities for local enterprise??? I have spoken to a local enviromentalist who had some dudes doing an underwater survey, he and they seemed to think that prawn stocks in this area are quite healthy, with plenty of burrows.

Does anyone else find a striking similarity between Makes Sense and English Local ????

"Look at the mess the local dinosaurs got everyone into here by even opposing the plans for the new island hall. Set us back years and caused much internal grief. Some people, sadly of the old local brigade, tend to oppose all change for the sake of it. "

But so do most elderly people, retirees and second homers don't move here because its going to be a place where lots of local industry takes place. Generaly people who retire here do not have a very great intrest in change.

[tinkerbell]

To me, the £400,000 cost of a house would indicate that it would be particularly large? Perhaps with 3 or even 4 bedrooms?

Could this perhaps imply that they would be good for families, with young children? and therefore encourage this market rather than retirement homes?

does anyone else agree?

i have to agree with NoS with regard to the weakening of the Culture of Seil, However at the same time in severe disagreement with this too. How can u say this would be due to the fact that the buyers would be from far away from Seil! And that doesnt really have bu**er all to do with the situation of crap Culture.

Our community as a whole is weak... just look at the fact of the Seil Games being done away with this year..what does that demonstrate??

Now, I believe we should look positively at the prospect of 5 new houses in Balvicar, (whats an extra 5? household cars for the future) And who knows, they may well bring something to the ever so dire community spirit that is present!!

Yes, our roads are dispicable but come off it they've always been like that! Yes they may worsen with additional traffic/lorries whilst the houses are built but its not like the buses/coaches/prawn vans/boats being taken to the pier... already do this.

Lighten up everyone! and bring some Optimism into the Island, afterall....

It could be a good thing and just what Seil needs!!!

[Makes Sense]

Yet still no-one have given ANY good reason why they have a problem with this application. Could it be they may be jealous?

I suggest building 4 story blocks of apartments opposite the golf course round the pond. Would there be a problem with this if say they were part owner part rent at around £120K each for a two bedroom?

Is this affoardable enough for you? Maybe we can get the labour at a 70% discount and the building materials for around the same we can make them real affoardable.

So guess what I am saying is you donate half your salary to go into building low cost housing then you can expect the builders to build for the same.

[Makes Sense]

Seil Blubber (never a more apt name), why don't you just get a job?

Stop moaning and assuming anyone with a big house is well to do.

Maybe they decided to work hard for it rather than expecting to be given it for nothing like you on your benefits.......

[Guest]

So many different views on this one...

To me, the £400,000 cost of a house would indicate that it would be particularly large? Perhaps with 3 or even 4 bedrooms?

Could this perhaps imply that they would be good for families, with young children? and therefore encourage this market rather than retirement homes?

No offence tinkerbell but I am in a well paid job, have two fairly young children and there's no way I could afford a £400,000 house. tbh I don't know who can afford houses these days.
I do agree with you that you all need to bring a bit of optimism into play here and some folk need to stop resisting change. Having said that, any change needs to be carefully controlled and shouldn't happen just for the sake of it.

Stop moaning and assuming anyone with a big house is well to do.

I have a big house............and an even bigger mortgage because I couldn't find anything else here and I am definitely not well to do
Not complaining, that's just the way it is.

[tinkerbell]

sorry guest....my point on it was, it could b families who could afford it (perhaps incomers from an already upmarket area, wishing to sell up and start somewhere new and a nice environment for children to be brought up in) when i say upmarket area, yes i could be meaning places in the city like the west end of glasgow or as mentioned previously shawlands, or even London... perhaps this is why people are frowning upon it, yet more English! Anyway, that aside because its not important, i do not understand why people are so unhappy about it, it would be a good development to the area, and actually what i would consider an appropriate place, there is only one house already it would affect (and i believe its they who are applying for permission) so whats the big problem?!?!

[SwallowTail]

As i wrote earlier on this post - £400k is not a huge amount for anyone who has moved up the housing market in the last 10 years or so in a hot market - I have friends living west of London who bought their 3 bed house for £180k about 10 years ago - its now worth over £650k - others in Reading who bought for £200k about the same time - on the market recently for over £750k. The money isn't worth much if they buy in the same area unless they seriously downsize - but move to another part of the country and it's like a kid in a candy store! That's what happened in Glasgow when various Govt Depts and private companies moved HQs north - their re-locators had money to burn - pushing prices up under the lovely Scottish bidding system! A house is worth whatever someone will pay for it....
These figures are like Monopoly money for anyone starting from scratch - and it is truly scary for anyone starting out on the housing ladder now - what chance they have of buying, I don't know. But the fact is - people with potentially £400k budget are not necessarily millionaire retirees! Plenty of kelvinsiders/shawlanders etc could manage it!

As Tinkerbell says - could well be young families wanting to get out of the rat race, enjoy the peace and safety, and live at a different pace - nothing wrong with that!

[tinkerbell]

aww i like swallowtail i wish he/she was a member of my family...we could fly around together :)

[Makes Sense]

I am still waiting on an answer to my questions. Or this this just a place for people to moan without offering solutions. My last point which went unanswered........



Yet still no-one have given ANY good reason why they have a problem with this application. Could it be they may be jealous?

I suggest building 4 story blocks of apartments opposite the golf course round the pond. Would there be a problem with this if say they were part owner part rent at around £120K each for a two bedroom?

Is this affoardable enough for you? Maybe we can get the labour at a 70% discount and the building materials for around the same we can make them real affoardable.

So guess what I am saying is you donate half your salary to go into building low cost housing then you can expect the builders to build for the same.