Planning Committee meeting - Item 5: appendix 2 - 14 November 2025

This document contains a habitats regulations appraisal for the proposed realignment of 400m of the River Tromie, which is part of the Cairngorms Connect Floodplains and River Restoration programme. The project aims to reconnect the river with its floodplain, improve habitat diversity, and contribute to natural flood risk management. The appraisal assesses the potential impacts of the project on various European sites, including the River Spey Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Insh Marshes SAC, and River Spey - Insh Marshes Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site, considering the qualifying interests (like Atlantic salmon, freshwater pearl mussel, otters, and various bird species) and conservation objectives of each site. Mitigation measures, such as timing the works to avoid sensitive periods and implementing pollution prevention measures, are proposed to minimize potential adverse effects, and monitoring will be carried out post-construction to ensure the project's objectives are met.