Skip to content
Cairngorms

Planning Permission signals go ahead for An Camas Mor

12th March 2014

The creation of the new sustainable community at An Camas Mòr near Aviemore has moved closer with planning permission in principle having officially been issued this week by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA).

Eleanor Mackintosh, Convenor of the CNPA’s Planning Committee commented: “We are delighted to see the legal framework on planning permission in principle now agreed for An Camas Mòr and hope the developers will submit their detailed masterplan soon.

“The concept of An Camas Mòr is about creating a new sustainable community within the Cairngorms National Park over the next  20-30 years with homes, community facilities and work places all reflecting this special location.”

An Camas Mòr aims to be an exemplar community for its sustainability and in terms of the quality of its environment, how people move about, water, energy, waste and wildlife management. Eventually up to 1500 homes could be built. The high standards the developer is required to meet are set out in the planning conditions attached to the planning permission.

The legal agreement between the developers and the relevant public bodies is now in place – to ensure the delivery of affordable housing, and contributions for healthcare, community facilities, education, roads, a community park and provision of off-site compensatory habitat improvement. The developer’s next task is to prepare and submit a detailed site masterplan to the CNPA.

Housing provision for local people continues to be a tough issue in the Cairngorms National Park and the CNPA is determined to ensure that sufficient housing that is accessible to people working in the area is brought forward whilst securing long term protection for the landscapes and wildlife that make this place so special. This is a difficult balance but one that the Park Authority feels An Camas Mòr should help to achieve.

Duncan Bryden, the CNPA’s Convenor said: “The concept of a new planned community in this location has been around for more than 20 years and is in the Cairngorms National Park Local Plan along with strong principles to guide its delivery. In the Cairngorms – Britain’s largest National Park – many of our much-treasured villages are 19th century planned settlements. An Camas Mòr should be another real living and working settlement for the 21st century that also respects its setting within the National Park.

“The phasing of the An Camas Mòr project will let the community grow sustainably over time. By planning positively and carefully managing the footprint of the settlement, the aim is to create a really special place and ease the pressure for development in Aviemore and other villages in Badenoch and Strathspey. There is lots of work still needed to make An Camas Mòr a reality and we look forward to receiving the masterplan in due course for consideration.”