Key Opportunities for Oban

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Capturing more spend by cultivating, developing and expanding a higher value food and drink offer – for example through initiatives linked to the Seafood.
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Key Opportunities for Oban

George Street

Oban Action Plan 2012 CONSULTATION DRAFT

Oban Action Plan 2012 CONSULTATION DRAFT

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Having established the context within which our action plan sits, a number of key opportunities emerge. These form the foundations to project proposals and actions described at section 4.0 in a way that addresses the five strategic objectives (2.4) in a holistic and comprehensive way. 3.1 A ‘natural’ evolution of the Oban economy The core economic principle must be about targeted investment in a set of mutually reinforcing projects that will unlock the Oban’s economic potential and, specifically, maximise the impact of key assets such as the bay and harbour and key transport infrastructure. This needs to be administered in a way that allows these assets to optimise their contribution to the economy and deliver sustained growth: co-ordinated, holistic actions potentially allowing collective impact to be greater than the sum of their parts. A programme of intervention should seek to address the five strategic objectives identified in section 2.4 in a holistic and comprehensive way. The project proposals and actions should seek to achieve the following: 1.

Develop a strong visitor economy: Increasing the volume, type and seasonal spread of visitors



Targeted investment in the harbour which helps bring about an uplift in the visitor economy – both marinebased and land-based improvement, growth and development



Increased visitor capacity and expansion of the visitor profile – for example through better accommodation of yachts, cruise ships etc



Capturing more spend by cultivating, developing and expanding a higher value food and drink offer – for example through initiatives linked to the Seafood Capital of Scotland brand



Continued efforts to extend the visitor season – looking at opportunities linked to visitor attractions, timing and promotion of events (e.g. growing and optimising the Winter Festival) and improvements in the quality and type of accommodation



Supporting the development, provision and promotion of high quality business visitor accommodation, in direct support to economic growth sectors in marine research, renewable energy and business professional services



Ensuring that transport modes interact and work more effectively - increasing dwell time to capture more spend in the town: promoting Oban as a base for exploration, rather than somewhere to pass through or drop in on a day trip

2.

Maximise the potential of priority sectors: Driving economic growth and creating a diverse and resilient economy



Supporting sustainable growth and development that helps Oban move towards a higher value knowledgedriven economy - prioritising key sectors and playing to Oban’s key strengths and assets



Supporting and facilitating the physical development needs of priority sectors - tourism, marine research (e.g. SAMS and the European Marine Science Park), renewable energy, sustainable construction and business services



Supporting local initiatives that develop the skills and workforce requirements of these sectors



Supporting initiatives by the existing business base to adapt to the renewable energy supply chain – thereby helping to prevent leakage from the local economy

Oban Action Plan 2012 CONSULTATION DRAFT

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3.

Create the conditions for long-term economic growth



Unlocking and actively promoting the development potential of key strategic sites and fostering conditions that secure private sector interest, particularly in delivering new competitive employment locations



Ensuring that new residential development provides distinctive neighbourhoods of choice, with excellent social infrastructure – places that will attract world class talent for the growing sectors (e.g. marine science, renewable energy)



Ensuring that transport connectivity by all modes is maximised and meets different sector needs (i.e. recognising the different dynamics and requirements of the tourism sector compared to other businesses) – better rail and air connectivity could be key opportunities



Creating the conditions that convey confidence in Oban as a place to live and put down roots – bringing out the best of place assets; connections with a world class natural environment, quality green infrastructure, social infrastructure, quality neighbourhoods, convenient transport connections

4.

Create an attractive and ‘investable’ town centre which will underpin a vibrant visitor economy



Making the town centre environment more accessible and easier to navigate - a place where people feel compelled to stay longer, and where businesses have the confidence to invest



Monitor the BID process and if successful maximise as a means through which to co-ordinate actions and increase capacity in the local community



Increase the range of uses and users



Better communication of the offer to the outside world – coordinated public relations and promotional initiatives (e.g. a more consolidated effort to push the Seafood Capital of Scotland brand)

Example of a strong public realm, celebrating a key transport interchange and helping to create an attractive and investable place (Sheaf Square, Sheffield)

Oban Action Plan 2012 CONSULTATION DRAFT

3.2 The process of change: actions and activities Change doesn’t always mean development or even outcomes that are physical. Change can simply mean a different way of doing things; a different process or management approach. This action plan is predicated on the idea that there are opportunities for Oban to change for the better through both actions and activities, by which we mean; Actions:

Undertaking tangible, physical acts – actual actions ‘on the ground’ – e.g. environmental improvements

Activities:

Getting people together in a way that helps plan for, collaborate on and facilitate future change – supporting endeavour and enterprise

This is potentially a vital aspect of Oban’s growth – with so many interest groups and stakeholders active in and around the town, any opportunities to bring people together to simplify and communicate objectives, and reach consensus on priorities, must play a key part in the future. There is good energy within the local community; a clear desire to make sure that the best is made of the town and that change is properly managed. This energy can be channelled into a powerful, positive medium for delivering change.

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3.3 Responsive development: spatial scale and sense of place Oban has a fantastic natural setting. The town itself and routes to and from it occupy some of the most attractive and inspirational countryside in the Country. This is a world class asset that makes Oban an outstanding place. On the one hand this is a huge opportunity – a key attractor - but on the other hand it presents a significant threat: physical growth and development will always be tempered by a need to conserve and enhance the natural environment. This will continue to constrain development. The existing Development Plan and emerging LDP express clear policy objectives relating to the protection of this outstanding environment. Thus new development that seeks to satisfy broader social and economic goals (see 3.1.1) but extends beyond existing urban environments, will of course need careful and sensitive development management. The Development Plan provides a platform for this through the process of assessing sites for allocation. Indeed, the MIR of the LDP sets out a clear rationale for site selection in terms of the preferred location and extent of growth.

Incremental change – small actions combining to make a big impact In this vein, and given the current restrictive economic and political climate, many opportunities for change within Oban may in the short term lie with smaller scale projects, actions and activities that can be conceived and implemented through community groups. This could involve everything from environmental projects and communication forums / public meetings, to the establishment of formal volunteer groups and community ‘companies’. The efforts being progressed by BID4Oban to establish a BID within the town centre is one such initiative reflecting this opportunity. The BID process can help make a significant contribution to priority projects and even implement in whole or in part smaller, short term ‘quick win’ projects. McCaig’s Tower

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Oban Action Plan 2012 CONSULTATION DRAFT

Notwithstanding, there remains opportunity to establish further guidance that is site-specific, and that provides more certainty for developers and stakeholders with regards to what will be considered, by decision makers, to be the right balance between development and conservation. This would have the dual benefit of giving confidence to the developer market (and an opportunity to promote development opportunities in a balanced way), whilst arming the Council with the development control tools it needs to ensure that development proposals are sustainable, responsive and responsible.

3.4 Sustainability opportunities Well designed development that has been crafted to respond to local characteristics – e.g. landscape quality / sensitivity – will itself help to create sustainable development. However opportunities to maximise sustainability are broad, and should include; •

Low carbon communities The potential for low carbon energy generation near to or within Oban is clear, this being expressed through the Development Plan and supporting documents such as REAP. The deployment of renewable energy sources at development-specific or broader scale will help to facilitate community scale renewable and low carbon energy projects. This would ensure that local communities will benefit from investment in low carbon technology, and could also promote community ownership. This may potentially have the knock-on benefit of helping to secure funding and smoothing the planning process.



Flood and water management Oban’s topographic characteristics, the inherent constraints on water supply and capacity restrictions on waste water treatment highlight the need for development to be sensitive to water use. Water sensitive urban design principles that help to deliver sustainable drainage systems, control of volume / rate of stormwater runoff, and enable recycling of greywater should be integrated into development and where possible retrofitted into existing environments.



Ecology and environment assets As mentioned above, development will be controlled to manage impact on the environment. This will include both landscape and visual impact, a concern for sensitive ecological areas and wider aims to conserve and enhance biodiversity. There is no doubt that the sensitive landscape here demands a careful approach, however it should be seized as an opportunity – a canvas on which a special place has been created, and will continue to be created.

Emerging planning policy as expressed in the Main Issues Report (MIR) conveys a clear message that future development opportunities are predominantly clustered to the north of Oban, including around Dunbeg and Dunstaffnage (the Dunbeg Corridor). Development capacity to the south is now limited due to lack of space and concerns over congestion and incompatibility over uses. Because of this clustering, the opportunity presents itself to prepare supporting development control tools in the form of for example a development framework / masterplan type document, and tailored supporting studies / evidence base – for example building on extant Landscape Capacity Studies.

Nevertheless, landscape impact and mitigation will be an essential component of sustainable development here. Also, robust habitat investigation must take place as sites come forward for development.

Oban Action Plan 2012 CONSULTATION DRAFT

Sustainable design and construction - low carbon building form and technology

Example development form: good, locally distinctive design helping to maximise sustainability opportunities

Example development form incorporating water sensitive urban design (Sustainable Drainage Systems)

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