Item5Appendix4CommunityCouncilComments20230399DETOldBridgeInn

Agenda Item 5

Appendix 4

2023/0399/DET

CAIRNGORMS NATION­AL PARK AUTHOR­ITY Plan­ning Com­mit­tee Agenda Item 5 Appendix 4 08/03/2024

Com­munity coun­cil comments

Com­ments for Plan­ning Applic­a­tion 2023/0399/DET

Applic­a­tion Sum­mary Applic­a­tion Num­ber: 2023/0399/DET Address: Land 45M SE Of Old Bridge Inn 23 Dal­faber Road Aviemore Pro­pos­al: Change of use of land to beer garden (in ret­ro­spect) Case Officer: Katie Crerar

Cus­tom­er Details Name: Mr ALASTAIR PETER Dar­gie Address: 18 Rail­way Ter­race Aviemore High­land PH22 1SA

Com­ment Details Com­menter Type: Com­munity Coun­cil Stance: Cus­tom­er objects to the Plan­ning Applic­a­tion Com­ment Reas­ons: Comment:AVCC wishes to object to this pro­pos­al. AVCC with ACE & the Spey Catch­ment Ini­ti­at­ive car­ried out works to improve the Spey Access Point (LBS137) with works com­pleted in 2019. The car park area has been used by river users as well as cus­tom­ers of the Old Bridge Inn. In recently the num­ber of pic­nic benches in this area has been increased to a sig­ni­fic­ant num­ber and access is now impaired.

The works improved the safe access and egress of water sport users from the access point, and included a stepped bank to the sides, a gradu­ated entry/​exit slope with bol­lards at the top to give a clear lim­it to where vehicles could manœuvre to in the car park. Over time more and more pic­nic benches have been added to the area restrict­ing access and car parking.

The form­al change of use to a beer garden hinders essen­tial access to the River Spey Access point that runs through the exist­ing car park. We must recog­nise the eco­nom­ic sig­ni­fic­ance of river users both in terms of loc­al companies/​guides as well as vis­it­ors to the area who spend money loc­ally as part of their trip. We need to see clear plans that show how river users can get to the access point and how this will be always main­tained for river goers as well as emer­gency ser­vices. This should include vehicu­lar access up to the bol­lards at the top of the access point. It needs to high­light how vehicu­lar access includ­ing revers­ing trail­ers can be safely car­ried out with the use of a beer garden which could have young chil­dren play­ing and oth­ers under the influ­ence of alcohol.

We also have con­cerns relat­ing to the reduction/​removal of the car park­ing, which has already led to sig­ni­fic­ant park­ing issues on Dal­faber Road.

We do not object to the concept of a beer garden and under­stand the com­mer­cial sig­ni­fic­ance of this to The Old Bridge Inn. We hope that the applic­ant can clearly show how the need for safe

access/​egress and a beer garden can coexist.