A fair pirce should be charged for water regardless of where people live, and water and sewerage capacity should be increased in rural areas to allow for more affordable housing developments to be built, the Cairngorms National Park Authority has said.

These measures and others are outlined in the Cairngorms National Park Authority’s (CNPA) responses to two Scottish Executive consultations on water services. The first, on ‘Paying for Water Services 2006-2010’, seeks views on the approach that the Scottish Executive should adopt in charging different customer groups for water services over the next four financial years.

The second consultation on ‘Investing in Water Services 2006-2014: The Quality and Standards III Project’ looks at the scale and content of future investment in water and sewerage services over the next eight years.

Members of the CNPA’s Planning Committee approved both responses-compiled by the organisation’s Economic and Social Develpoment team-at its recent Planning Committee meeting in Aboyne.

Speaking at the meeting, CNPA Convener Andrew Thin said:”We recognise the need for a substantial continuing programme of investment across Scotland and especially in rural areas. We welcome the oppurtunity to respond, as these proposals will impact directly on two of the Park’s aims-to promote sustainable economic development in our committees, and promoting the sustainable use of the natural resources of the area.

We endorse Scottish water’s goals of achieving high environmental protection standards, high water quality and a clean environment. The natural resources of the Cairngorms National Park are of the utmost importance and we would like to see increased emphasis placed on sustainability and protection of the natural resources in these consultation documents.

Much more needs to be made of promoting water conservation in relation to both business and domestic customers and the issues of climate change should play a crucial role in determining future policy.”

Taken together, these two responses will help Ministers set policy objectives for the industry within the new regulatory framework, both in terms of forthcoming investment requirements and the principles to be used in determining the charges water customers should pay.

To access these Planing Committee papers, outlining the CNPA’s response to both consultations, click here.