Planning Committee - April 2024

This document contains a notice of Cairngorms National Park Authority meetings on 26 April 2024. The meetings will be hybrid. The Planning Committee meeting will be at 10am, and the Planning training and briefing session will be at 1pm. The Planning Committee and Formal Board meetings will be live streamed and available to watch at cairngorms.co.uk/working-together/meetings/. The agenda and papers for the meeting will be available the Friday the week before the meeting on the National Park Authority website at cairngorms.co.uk/.

This document contains the agenda for the Cairngorms National Park Authority Planning Committee meeting on 26 April 2024 at 10am in Grantown on Spey. The agenda includes welcoming attendees, apologies, declarations of interest, and approving minutes from the previous meeting. Key items for discussion include applications for detailed planning permission, specifically regarding a touring motorhome/caravan site in Dalwhinnie and an extension to a caravan site in Grantown on Spey, both recommended for approval subject to conditions. Additionally, the committee will review information regarding an environmental impact assessment (EIA) screening determination for a proposed lodge development in Aviemore and Scottish Government planning system consultations. There will also be a discussion to resolve a breach of condition at Bynack More Development in Aviemore. The next meeting is scheduled for 14 June 2024.

This document contains the draft minutes of the Cairngorms National Park Authority Planning Committee meeting held on 8 March 2024. The meeting covered a range of topics, including an application for detailed planning permission to change the use of land to a beer garden in Aviemore. The committee discussed various aspects of the application, including access, potential impacts, and relevant policies. Ultimately, the committee approved the application in principle, subject to amendments and additional conditions. The committee also received updates on the Lethen Windfarm proposal, external lighting at the Tomintoul housing development, and the Old School affordable housing project in Ballater.

This document contains a planning application submitted to the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) for the formation of a 38-bay touring motorhome and caravan site near Dalwhinnie, with a recommendation to approve it subject to conditions. The proposed site, located west of the A889 trunk road, includes mixed grazing land and woodland adjacent to a filling station, extending towards the Inverness to Perth railway line, where the boundary of the Park Authority is. Key aspects of the proposal include access from the A889, permeable surfacing for tracks and stances, septic tank and soakaway for foul water, connection to the public water system, and various buildings and structures including a recycling store, bin collection area, small site office, and washing/toilet facilities, with a detailed landscape plan aiming to minimize tree removal and integrate the development into the birch woodland setting, supported by various studies and assessments addressing potential environmental and contamination issues.

This document contains plans and drawings for Agenda Item 5, Appendix 1, application 2023/0245/DET for the Cairngorms National Park Authority Planning Committee on 26 April 2024. The plans, drawn by Highland Rural Design, detail a proposed touring site at Highland Gateway in Dalwhinnie, including a site plan, tree arrangement, landscaping, a wash house and recycling stores. The site plan shows proposed motorhome and caravan bays, parking, and site access, while the tree plan highlights trees to be removed or retained with new planting. The landscaping plan illustrates existing and proposed trees, along with lighting and screening details. Finally, the drawings for the wash house and recycling stores provide layout and elevation details.

This document contains visual information relating to planning committee agenda item 6, appendix 2, reference number 2023/0380/DET, dated 26 April 2024, for the Cairngorms National Park Authority. It includes a diagram of a typical holiday caravan unit, with dimensions of 3.6 metres wide and 12 metres long, and a ridge height of 3 metres. It also notes the external finishes of the unit, including cream powder-coated metal walls, a grey powder-coated metal roof, white UPVC windows and black UPVC rainwater goods.

This document contains community council comments regarding planning application 2023/0245/DET for a proposed camper/motorhome park in Dalwhinnie. Dalwhinnie Community Council (DCC) fully supports the proposal, believing it will benefit the village, residents, and the Cairngorms National Park in both the short and long term. The DCC highlights Dalwhinnie's location as a gateway to the Highlands and emphasizes the need for improved infrastructure to accommodate the increasing number of tourists, particularly those traveling in motorhomes and campers. The community council sees the proposed park as a way to promote responsible waste disposal and boost the local economy by providing employment, resources, and facilities that the Highlands and Cairngorms National Park desperately need.

This document contains objections from members of the public regarding a planning application (reference number 2023/0245/DET) to build a touring motorhome/caravan site on land north of Birchview in Dalwhinnie. Concerns raised include the negative impact on the village's natural beauty, increased flood risk, light and noise pollution, and potential fire hazards. Objectors also highlight the potential strain on local infrastructure, the destruction of wildlife habitats, and the site's encroachment on land allocated for housing and protected open space. Additionally, some objectors argue that the application fails to meet fire safety regulations and that the proposed traffic management plan is inadequate.

This document contains a planning application for an extension to the caravan site at Grantown on Spey Caravan and Motorhome Club. The proposal seeks partial retrospective planning permission for 16 additional static holiday caravans, an access road, and associated landscaping. The Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) has recommended approval of the extension, subject to several conditions, including a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP), a landscape planting plan, and a Biodiversity Enhancement Plan. Concerns were raised regarding the impact on the surrounding landscape and biodiversity, particularly in relation to the adjacent "Mossie" area, but the Park Authority believes that these concerns can be addressed through the proposed conditions.

This document contains plans for agenda item 6, appendix 1, application number 2023/0380/DET regarding the Grantown Caravan Park. The plans show the location of the site, the existing site plan, and the proposed extension of the park including 16 new holiday caravan units, new internal roads, recreational areas, parking bays, and landscaping. The document also includes a typical caravan unit plan with dimensions and material finishes.

This document contains a habitats regulations appraisal by the Cairngorms National Park Authority, dated 26 March 2024, regarding planning application 2023/0380/DET. The proposal is for an extension to an existing caravan park, adding 16 static holiday caravans. The appraisal, which includes a Capercaillie Assessment, considers the potential impact on the River Spey Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Anagach Woods Special Protection Area (SPA). The conclusion is that the development will have no adverse effect on the site integrity of Anagach SPA and requires no mitigation.

This document contains visual information pertaining to the Cairngorms National Park Authority Planning Committee agenda item 6, appendix 2, dated 26 April 2024, reference number 2023/0380/DET. The document includes a diagram of a typical holiday caravan unit, designed by Bell Ingram Design, with the dimensions 3.6 meters wide, 12 meters long, and 3 meters to the ridge. It also specifies the external finishes, including powder-coated metal walls in cream, a powder-coated metal roof in gray, white UPVC windows, and black UPVC rainwater components.

This document contains a letter of objection to a planning application (reference number 2023/0380/DET) for an extension to a caravan site with 16 static holiday caravans in Grantown-on-Spey. The letter, dated 30 October 2023, raises concerns about the impact of the development on the landscape, habitats, biodiversity, and public access to the Mossie, an area considered important for its rich grassland and wildlife. The author also questions the potential for the caravans to be used as permanent residences and expresses concern about potential pollution from the site. Finally they state how the proposals do not align with the policies outlined in the National Planning Framework 4.

This document contains information for the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) Planning Committee regarding an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening determination for an application to build 25 lodges at the Dry Ski Slope in Aviemore. The Park Authority previously agreed to grant planning permission, but hadn't yet issued the official notice. A conservation group raised concerns that an EIA screening should have been done before the planning committee made its decision. The Park Authority acknowledges that the EIA screening wasn't done at the ideal time due to staffing issues, but it has now been completed and concluded that an EIA is not required. The Park Authority maintains that no planning permission has been officially granted yet, and the decision remains in line with regulations.

This document contains information for the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) Planning Committee regarding three Scottish Government Planning Consultations. The consultations cover changes to planning regulations related to the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, including amending development plans and establishing Masterplan Consent Areas, as well as resourcing for Scotland's planning system. Park Authority officers don't propose a formal response to the first two consultations, but they will highlight the importance of National Park Partnership Plans. For the consultation on resourcing, officers are providing feedback through Heads of Planning Scotland and will update the Planning Committee on any future proposals affecting the planning system or the Park Authority's planning service.