Planning Permission 20/01182/FUL (Letter of Comfort Request Please) For The Engine House Conversion At Noss Head Lighthouse Station: Click Here
^^ The Engine House: Right Side of Photo ^^
Noss Head Lighthouse Station, Wick, KW1 4QT
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Hi Rob,
Planning Permission 20/01182/FUL (Letter of Comfort Request Please) For The Engine House Conversion At Noss Head Lighthouse Station: Click Here
As per our phone call, I have been going through the old photographs that contractor Steve Williams and the Team took between the Planning Permission at the Engine House, Noss Head Lighthouse Station, Wick, KW1 4QT being GRANTED on 20th May 2020 an Covid causing things to grind to a halt. The guys managed to get a lot of progress made to a point within 12 to 18 months of the ORIGINAL Planning Permission of 20-May-2020. After speaking with the architect, I understand this may be termed a “MEANINGFUL START” and so the Planning Permission & Building Warrants are still “live” to this day (14th august 2023)? But we need to make sure the Highland Council Planning Dept., are happy with this situation please?
The lockdowns back at the start of Covid in 2020 kept statutorily causing problems on and off from the beginning of the Coronavirus act 2020 starting on 25th March 2020 (source here and here).
=> Rob, the contractors valiantly continued at the Engine House. But this was the BEGINING of Covid and things were a lot less certain.
At that time, our immediate neighbour at the lighthouse station was (and still is) the Wick Hospital A&E Consultant, Doctor Stephen Makin. The Doc., phoned me late one night and we donated Keeper’s Cabin to him when the Wick Medical Practice Locum GP (staying at Doc Makin’s annexe next door) started coughing. I don’t know if you recall, but our contractors went straight up at 10pm to get Keeper’s Cabin ready. We could NOT have TWO doctors go down with Covid in Wick, Caithness.
So as well as giving Doc Makin the use of Keeper’s Cabin onsite until the Locum Doc., cleared her tests (thankfully she did NOT have Covid but had to wait 14 days) we took a decision with all the Covid uncertainty and doctors nearby who have more than eight thousand patients between them, that it was best to close down the Engine House conversion works until the pandemic stabilised. Heaven forbid a dozy timber lorry driver ended up coughing on one of the doctors!
=> Rob, are you able to do the honours please and ask whoever it is you managed to get hold of at Highland Council whether we can obtain a “Letter of Comfort” for the ENGINE HOUSE Planning Permission and Building Warrant under the original permissions of 20-5-2020 to restart/continue the works going on at the Engine House please?
I am happy to pay the Highland Council fee in this respect. You’ll find Highland Council are one of the best in Scotland, possibly the UK (IMHO). When we had the difficulty with the previous owner (the Duke of Rothesay prior to his “promotion”) doing a bit of DIY onsite at Keeper’s Cabin, I think the Highland Council Planning Dept., deserve a medal for processing that Retrospective Planning Application so smoothly.
Anyways Rob, here (below) are the “MEANINGFUL START” photos we have so far ingathered for the Engine House (as at 14 August 2023). Crucially, Steve Williams obtained an “Inert Waste Disposal Certificate” for the Engine House rubble during August 2020. So that document (or a copy from the Highland Council records) should be gold dust as far as proving the work had progressed far enough to satisfy the “MEANINGFUL START” requirements.
All my very best, Russ.
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The Engine House,
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
Existing Layout: 23rd May 2017
^^ The Engine House ^^
Office: 2 ~Earl of Caithness
Kitchen & Staff Area: 1 ~ Northern Lighthouse Board Staff Room
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
Existing Layout: 23rd May 2017
Bought by us from the…
Earl of Caithness + Viscount Thurso + Duke of Rothesay
^^ The Engine House ^^
Office: 2 ~Earl of Caithness
Kitchen & Staff Area: 1 ~ Northern Lighthouse Board Staff Room
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
Existing Layout: 23rd May 2017
Bought by us from the…
Earl of Caithness + Viscount Thurso + Duke of Rothesay
^^ The Engine House ^^
Room 1 Northern Lighthouse Board Staff Room
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
As at 2017 TOWER Renovation
^^ The Engine House ^^
Room 1: Northern Lighthouse Board Staff Room
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
As at 2017 TOWER Renovation
^^ The Engine House ^^
Room 1: Northern Lighthouse Board Staff Room
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
As at 2017 TOWER Renovation
^^ The Engine House ^^
Room 1: Northern Lighthouse Board Staff Room
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
As at 2017 TOWER Renovation
^^ The Engine House ^^
Room 1: Northern Lighthouse Board Staff Room
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
As at 2017 TOWER Renovation
^^ The Engine House ^^
Room 1: Northern Lighthouse Board Staff Room
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
As at 2017 TOWER Renovation
In June 2017, the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) asked us if they could rent this room as the relevant statutes required them (the NLB) to have somewhere safe and warm for their site staff working on the main lighthouse TOWER to be able to heat food and have a hot drink. Also a WC and wash hand basin were required during that period (2017-2018). Sir Malcolm was more than happy to help by vacating these Castle Sinclair Girnigoe offices that were being lent to the charity.
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^^ The Engine House ^^
“Heartbreaking to destroy these rooms”
^^ The Engine House ^^
Room 1 & 2: Northern Lighthouse Board Staff Room
Disassembly of Recyclable Materials
As At August 2020
Steve Williams Ulephone Screenshot Watermark
“Heartbreaking to destroy these rooms”
^^ The Engine House ^^
Room 1 & 2: Northern Lighthouse Board Staff Room
Disassembly of Recyclable Materials
As At August 2020
Steve Williams Ulephone Screenshot Watermark
^^ The Engine House ^^
Room 1 & 2: Northern Lighthouse Board Staff Room
Awaiting The Earl of Caithness’ Van To Recover Old Office Files & Cabinets
As At August 2020
^^ The Engine House ^^
Room 1 & 2: Northern Lighthouse Board Staff Room
Earl of Caithness’ Van Has Recover
Old Office Files & Cabinets
As At September 2020
The Workshop
^^ The Engine House: Workshop ^^
Awaiting Argyll Group plc
To Recover Old Office Files & Cabinets
As At August 2020
^^ The Engine House: Workshop ^^
Now Cleared Completeely
All Fixtures & Fittings Removed
A/Or Demolished
As At September 2020
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Photos To Evidence
“A Meaningful Start”
For The Head Lighthouse Engine House
Hi Rob, sorry to send these screenshots to you in the evening. I just wanted to let you know that after dragnetting 3 years of photos and messages, we struck gold! Here is the dated screenshot as imprinted on Steve Williams camera-phone (the Inert Waste Daiasposaal Licence will around this date, 26th August 2020…
^^ The Tea Room ^^
Refers to a redecoration and carpets etc., for the Northern Lighthouse Board staff and contractor who were renovating the LIGHTHOUSE TOWER at that time.
Steve Williams did get a Waste Disposal Licence when doing the interior demolition work to get the Engine House ready for implementation of the Planning Permission from Highland Council. The crucial date for MEANINGFUL START IS ~ 27TH AUGUST 2020.
Because of the Covid Lockdowns (here) under the Coronavirus Act 2020, the work to take out the stud walls and suspended ceiling + suspended floors + insulation stretched out over 12 months. But both start and finish date are well within the 3 years Planning Permission certification.
I trust this is sufficient for the “meaningful start” part of what Rhiannon (and Highland Council) have asked for?
^^ The Engine House ^^
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
After Internal Stripping Out of Stud Walls
& Suspended Ceilings & Floors & Insulation Etc
20th May 2020 to 20th September 2020
^^ Main Engine Room ^^
^^ Before & During Demolition Work ^^
August 2020.
After a lot of blood, sweat and tears, plus trips to recycle or dump the waste…
^^ Main Engine Room ^^
^^ After Demolition Work ^^
September 2020.
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^^ From The Camera Phone of Steve Williams ^^
August 2020
Noss Head Lighthouse Engine House ^^
^^ Meaningful Start: Demolition of Interior ^^
Start-Stop-Start-Stop
Due To Covid Lockdowns
26 August 2020 to 23rd May 2021.
Steve Williams purchased and handed in a Highland Council Waste Disposal Licence. This should prove beyond doubt that these “meaningful start” works were undertaken between 20th May 2020 and 20th September 2020.
All my very best,
Russ.
Russ McLean, Director, Noss Head Lighthouse Station Ltd., Endeavour House, 1 James Street, Arbroath, Angus, DD11 1JP.