Item 6 report

This document contains a committee report from the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) planning committee on 25 April 2025, regarding a proposed telecommunications installation by EE Ltd. The proposal includes a 15-metre lattice tower, antennas, dishes, cabinets, micro turbines, and a solar array near the summit of Geal Charn. The planning officer recommends that the committee refuse permission for the project because it conflicts with several National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) and Local Development Plan (LDP) policies, especially concerning landscape, natural heritage, and ecology, and the proposal's design is incongruous within its setting, has detrimental impacts on visual amenity, landscape, natural heritage, and ecology. A Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) provided by the applicant was considered inadequate, and it was also determined that the potential negative effects on peatland, biodiversity, and visitor experience were not properly assessed or mitigated.