Item7Appendix3cAddendumGeneral20210112DET

CAIRNGORMS NATION­AL PARK AUTHOR­ITY Plan­ning Com­mit­tee Agenda Item 7 Appendix 3C 14/05/2021

AGENDA ITEM 7

APPENDIX 3C

2021/0112/DET

5889881 A HC 5DD9B8€”7” PUB­LIC COM­MENTS GENERAL

---

RSPB Scot­land

F.A.O. Stephanie Wade Plan­ning and Devel­op­ment Cairngorms Nation­al Park Authority

RSPB Scot­land

10 May 2021

By email: planning@​cairngorms.​co.​uk

Dear Ms Wade

2021/0112/DET Recon­fig­ur­a­tion of exist­ing car park and pro­vi­sion of infra­struc­ture for camper­van overnight facil­ity Cairngorm Moun­tain Ciste Car Park Glen­more Aviemore High­land PH22 1RB

Thank you for con­sult­ing RSPB Scot­land on the above proposal.

Some addi­tion­al detail regard­ing caper­cail­lie is included in Con­fid­en­tial Annex 1 which can help inform a HRA. We request that this inform­a­tion is not placed in the pub­lic domain.

The car park is approx­im­ately 500m from the edge of the Cairngorms SPA which includes caper­cail­lie as a qual­i­fy­ing fea­ture and There is good qual­ity brood hab­it­at and this is reflec­ted by the fact that it is included with­in the latest Strath­spey Land Man­age­ment Plan (cur­rently out for con­sulta­tion). We note that the applic­ant has sought pre-applic­a­tion advice from NatureScot but no men­tion of the SPA, an appro­pri­ate assess­ment or caper­cail­lie have been made in the applic­a­tion, but under­stand that CNPA will carry out a HRA as the com­pet­ent authority.

We note that the pro­pos­al is to provide camper­van facil­it­ies at the exist­ing Ciste car park and there will be no over­all increase in the num­ber of park­ing spaces avail­able or increase in the car park foot­print. An online book­ing sys­tem vehicle regis­tra­tion and coded gate will be used for access.

The car park is already a busy and increas­ingly used site as demon­strated by the ​‘Vis­it­or Man­age­ment Plan’ sub­mit­ted with this applic­a­tion. The change in facil­it­ies avail­able may not lead to an over­all increase in activ­ity in the area but may change usage and increase dis­turb­ance to caper­cail­lie at dawn and dusk. For example, vis­it­ors plan­ning to walk up the hill may decide to do a short­er walk the even­ing before or fol­low­ing morn­ing and there­fore it could increase activ­ity in the SPA at times that are usu­ally quieter.

---

RSPB Scot­land

Recom­mend­a­tions

In order for our con­cerns detailed above to be addressed, we advise that the fol­low­ing con­di­tions are applied, should the Cairngorms Nation­al Park Author­ity decide to approve the application:

• Camper­van park­ing and facil­it­ies do not open until May each year

  Reas­on: To reduce the risk of dawn and dusk dis­turb­ance to lekking capercaillie

• That is not act­ively pro­moted with sig­nage from the car park

• That (in col­lab­or­a­tion with FLS) sig­nage is placed advising that dog­walk­ers keep dogs on leads dur­ing the breed­ing season.

  Molly Doubleday (molly.​doubleday@​rspb.​org.​uk) can provide advice on this as can FLS.

  Reas­on: To pro­tect caper­cail­lie hens, nests and chicks.

• That a people counter is placed on this trail either on the HIE side or by FLS to mon­it­or wheth­er the change in avail­able facil­it­ies has increased activ­ity on this trail and this inform­a­tion is included in the CMSL vis­it­or man­age­ment plan reports.

  Reas­on: to con­trib­ute to mon­it­or­ing the effect­ive­ness of the caper­cail­lie refuge area and any changes to dis­turb­ance in this part of the SPA, allow­ing pro­act­ive man­age­ment to be under­taken if required.

We hope you find these com­ments help­ful. Should you wish to dis­cuss of any of the above please do not hes­it­ate to con­tact me.

Yours Sin­cerely

Claire Smith Seni­or Con­ser­va­tion Officer – South Highland