New Cairngorms Local Development plan enters last stages

The new Local Development Plan (LDP) for the Cairngorms National Park is set to be adopted within months after members of the CNPA’s planning committee approved modifications at its meeting in Boat of Garten today (Friday 21^st November).

The Scottish Government’s Department of Planning and Environmental Appeals recently reported back on its Examination of the Plan with a series of recommendations mainly surrounding housing supply allocations with significant changes to the Plan at Carr-Bridge and Nethy Bridge.

The committee also gave the go ahead for the LDP to go forward for adoption, which is expected to happen early in 2015.

The LDP replaces the current Cairngorms Local Plan and for the first time includes part of Perth and Kinross, following the boundary change in 2010, which saw the National Park extended to the south.

Simon Harrison, the CNPA’s Head of Planning said: “The majority of the recommendations made by the Scottish Government’s Reporter are relatively small and straightforward, providing us with further clarity or ensuring compliance with national policy. However, there are a few more significant recommendations which include the removing of a housing site at Nethy Bridge and the reduction in the size of a proposed site at Carr-Bridge.

“The recommendations made by the Reporter are largely binding unless there are exceptional circumstances and as such, we propose to put the Plan forward for adoption incorporating all the Reporter’s comments.”

Planning committee members endorsed the approach. Planning Committee Convener Eleanor Mackintosh said: “The Local Development Plan will guide us and all other local authorities in the National Park to get the right development in the right place for the next five years so it’s important that it’s robust and has clarity. I’d like to thank all the people who have taken the time and trouble to be involved to help shape the future of the Park.  I look forward to using the new Plan as the basis of our decisions in the near future.”

To read the planning papers in full go to: https://cairngorms.co.uk/park-authority/planning/planning-papers