Delivering infrastructure

The Council will encourage all service providers to improve, augment, and expand existing service infrastructure throughout East Ayrshire in order to meet demand. Such developments will be supported by the Council where it can be demonstrated that there would be no detrimental impacts on the landscape, natural and built heritage designations or on the road network and where the proposal meets with all other relevant LDP policies. 

Developers of new residential or business and industrial developments will be required to install the necessary infrastructure to enable all new premises to be connected to the existing fibre optic network, where available in East Ayrshire, and in accordance with the relevant telecommunications provider’s standards.

Developers will be required to ensure that all new premises have a full fibre connection to the network ensuring that next generation broadband speeds of 100 Megabytes per second and above can be provided.

Developers are encouraged to have early discussions with the relevant telecommunications provider when formulating their development proposals.

Providers of communications equipment will require to demonstrate that the following options have been considered in the selection sites and design of base stations:

(i)    mast or site sharing
(ii)   installation on buildings or other existing structures
(iii)  installation of the smallest suitable equipment, commensurate with technological requirements
(iv)  concealing or disguising masts, antennas, equipment housing and cable runs using design and camouflage techniques where appropriate
(v)   installation of ground-based masts

As part of any planning applications for such developments, applicants will require to provide the following information:

• an explanation of how the proposed equipment fits into the wider network
• a description of the siting options (primarily for new sites) and design options which satisfy operational requirements, alternatives considered, and the reasons for the chosen solution
• details of the design, including height, materials and all components of the proposal
• details of any proposed landscaping and screen planting, where appropriate
• an assessment of the cumulative effects of the proposed development in combination with existing equipment in the area
• a declaration that the equipment and installation is designed to be in full compliance with the appropriate ICNIRP guidelines for public exposure to radiofrequency radiation
• an assessment of visual impact, if relevant

Developments which deliver entirely new connectivity to an area will be particularly encouraged.

Should any communications installations become operationally redundant, the Council will require their immediate removal and the restoration of the site to its original condition. A financial guarantee in line with policy RE5 of the LDP and the Council’s Supplementary Guidance on Financial Guarantees (PDF 1.18Mb)  may be required for larger scale developments.

The Council will require development to take a design led approach to delivering green infrastructure. Opportunities for green infrastructure delivery should be incorporated as an integral part of the design of developments to enhance and link to existing open spaces/green infrastructure and create new green infrastructure assets as appropriate. The Council will require new development to meet with the public and private open space standards set out in Schedule 8 (PDF 18Mb) of Volume 1 of the LDP and the provisions of the Council’s Design Guidance (PDF 2.5Mb). The provision of open space/green infrastructure should be a core component of any Master Plan.

The Council will produce Design Guidance (PDF 2.5Mb) which will provide guidance for all types and development and will form Supplementary Guidance to the LDP. It sets out key design principles that the Council expects developers to incorporate into their developments including green infrastructure/open space requirements.

Where a development of four or more houses, retail or commercial leisure development either on its own, or in association with existing developments, will place additional demands on facilities, infrastructure or services that would necessitate new facilities or exacerbate deficiencies in existing provision, the Council will require the developer to meet or contribute to the cost of providing or improving such infrastructure, facilities or services. This could include off-site environmental or other enhancements where issues cannot be addressed within the development site. Contributions will relate to the development concerned, including in nature, scale and kind. Where these cannot be secured by planning conditions or other appropriate means, the council will expect developers to complete a Section 75 obligation or other legal agreement. Contributions sought under this policy will be waived or reduced only in exceptional circumstances – for example, where a developer demonstrates that an enabling development or a development would have exceptional development costs, overriding economic, social or other benefits, and where there is no adverse impact on essential services or infrastructure.

A list of specific projects which support placemaking to be funded by developer contributions can be found in Table 6 of the LDP (PDF 18Mb) and the Action Programme.

Note: In addition to any contributions made under Policy INF5, developers will require to meet the costs of providing the service infrastructure necessary for their development

The Council will monitor and review, in discussion with stakeholders, including representatives of the development industry, Supplementary Guidance relating to Developer Contributions (PDF 1.5Mb) on an annual basis

Supplementary Guidance on Developer Contributions (PDF 1.5Mb) supports policy INF5 by providing further detail on:

• which projects that developers will require to make contributions towards
• the costs of projects
• how the developer contributions will be calculated
• how the Council will collect funds

There will be a presumption against development on safeguarded open space with the exception of uses which are compatible with, and sympathetic to, the sporting and recreational use of the site itself. Any such development should not result in either a reduction or erosion of the site’s overall amenity and recreational value or a deficiency of open space provision in the area or settlement concerned.

Development which results in the partial or complete loss of areas of safeguarded open space will be acceptable only in exceptional circumstances where alternative provision of equal community benefit can be made available close to the site and where the proposal meets with the provisions of the Council’s Green Infrastructure Strategy (PDF 2.5Mb)

The Council will not be supportive of the redevelopment of outdoor sports facilities, except where one of the following circumstances applies:

(i) the proposed development is ancillary to the principal use of the site as an outdoor sports facility; or

(ii) the proposed development involves a minor part of the outdoor sports facility which would not affect its use and potential for sport and training; or

(iii) the outdoor sports facility which would be lost as a result of the proposed development would be replaced by:

• a new outdoor sports facility of comparable or greater benefit for sport and in a location which is convenient for its users; or
• the upgrading of an existing outdoor sports facility to provide a better quality facility, either within the same site or at another location which is convenient for its users and which maintains or improves the overall playing capacity in the area; or

(iv) an outdoor sports facility strategy prepared in consultation with, and approved by, Sportscotland, or another relevant strategy, has demonstrated that there is a clear excess of provision to meet current and anticipated demand in the area, and that the site in question could be developed without detriment to the overall quality of provision.

Sportscotland is a statutory consultee and is required to be consulted on any planning application that will result in the loss of an outdoor sports facility; prejudice the use of an existing outdoor sports facility for that purpose; or prevent the use of land, which was last used as an outdoor sports facility, from being used again for that purpose.

The Council will actively encourage the temporary greening of any vacant, derelict or underused site to improve the provision of green infrastructure within the Council area and to improve the character and amenity of the particular settlement or rural area. The Council will also be supportive of advanced structure planting to create a landscape framework for future development on major sites identified in the plan. Any temporary greening of a site should not prevent the future development of the site concerned.