Nairn community council steps up campaign to block sale of Common Good land at Sandown
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Nairn West and Suburban Community Council wants people to give their views ahead of the potential sale of land by Highland Council to plug a shortfall in suitable land for housing.
It has issued a three-page document giving the history of Common Good land at Sandown and recent controversies surrounding the possible sale.
Community councillors are making a final plea to the public to make their views known to the council during a consultation which ends on February 12.
And its campaign is being backed by Greens MSP Andy Wightman.
The sale of the land would create a windfall of nearly £7 million for the Common Good Fund. In 2006, a deal with a private developer for £22 million fell through.
The timing of the consultation, which ran over the festive period and is during the pandemic with falling land value, has been criticised.
In an appeal to the public, the community council stated: “Common Good lands are hugely important to the people of Nairn and have been in the Common Good for over 430 years.
“Once sold lock, stock and barrel to a single developer that is it – gone forever. Does Nairn need another bland housing development which profits a single developer?”
The group insisted there are other options for the site which would be greater value to Nairn.
Sheena Baker, chairwoman of the community council, said: “Housing is not a function of the Common Good and Highland Council have a huge black hole to fill financially.
"It is therefore tempting to encourage Highland councillors who are also trustees of the Common Good to agree to the sell-off.
"I don’t think that there is major opposition to using the Sandown land, and particularly the field/section next to the allotments, for new housing.
“The problem is that there are many ways of ensuring long-term income from such a venture. For example, leasing and individually selling off of plots rather than a wholesale, low-return, one-off sale of all the land.”
In 2006, Sandown was valued at £14 million with a bid of £22 million from a developer.
The sitting tenant who had been leasing the fields was paid a six-figure sum in compensation.
But the land was protected by an historic charter and the council had no legal right to market it without court permission.
The community council claimed this was not sought and the sale became null and void.
The developer applied to build 550 houses rather than 300 in the local plan but that was rejected by council planners and a public inquiry.
Nairn councillor Tom Heggie said: “All that’s being asked for is permission for the trustees to be able to market the land at an appropriate time when the market is right.
“It’s being claimed we have a hidden agenda and that we already have a developer waiting in the wings – that’s just not true.
“Folk are going on about the Common Good Fund, but what about the common good of the people of Nairn? We have families living in appalling conditions and that’s because we don’t have appropriate land for development.
“We are trying to do our best for Nairn.”
Mr Wightman said: “Sandown lands have been the property of the inhabitants of Nairn since 1589 and yet they have no control over their own common good land. This is the biggest gaping hole in the legal framework for Scotland’s commons.”
Submit comments by email to commongood@highland.gov.uk
