FOR DEVELOPERS & OPERATORS

A rule is an asset for the operator too.

Where a single standard applies, there is no risk of the neighbouring site being developed without restraint. Protecting the landscape and the darkness of the night also protects the value of what you have invested here. We have no intention of shutting out those considering a project. We want to build value together with those willing to work to the same standard.

1. 01

   The surroundings are protected

   Because the whole peninsula works to one standard, the landscape and the dark sky are maintained as a given condition of doing business here.

2. 02

   You can start without conflict with the community

   Talk to us while the plan is still being drawn and the points at issue surface early, which avoids opposition arising after construction has begun. Consultation is voluntary, and the council has no power to stop a project.

3. 03

   You share in the Hirakubo name

   As a certified operator you become part of a name the community is building. We list you on the council's site with a route through to your own bookings and enquiries — value no single company can create alone.

What the community agreement is, and is not

It is a gentlemen's agreement. There are no penalties and no liquidated damages; the council cannot demand that work be halted; and obtaining the council's approval is not a condition of starting construction. Signing is entirely voluntary, and either party may withdraw on one month's notice without giving a reason. Apart from confidentiality and a few similar provisions, it is not intended to create rights enforceable in court — and that applies equally to what the council promises.

What we ask is set out in three points: bring outdoor lighting into line with the common standard (existing fittings have until replacement, or ten years, whichever comes first); tell your visitors about rubbish, parking and the coast; and give us your view, as an operator, on the draft ordinance. That last one is optional.