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AVIEMORE RETAIL DEVELOPMENT. 

Sustainability Statement in Support of Detailed Planning Application, 
September 2006. 

The sustainability credentials of the development have been significantly developed 
since the outline planning application for the project was made. In part this has 
been a response to our Client’s aspirations for a development which “treads lightly” 
upon the ground, which minimises the use of scarce resources, is energy efficient, 
responds to its site – not just in terms of its footprint, scale and its ability to 
contribute to a sense of place but also in its exploitation of the topography and 
shape of the site, responding to the genius locii. 

These aims have been reinforced by the architectural responses to comments and 
concerns expressed by the Highland Council, the Cairngorm National Park Authority 
and Architecture & Design Scotland on the initial proposals and the design 
opportunities that these have created. 


Energy Efficiency. 

The development exploits the terrain which falls from west to east by excavating a 
level platform coinciding with the datum of the Grampian Road and creating a new 
deck at the level of the ring road that runs east of the Highland Resort. This enables 
the bulk of the development to be lowered to the scale of the existing buildings 
running along the Grampian Road, surmounted by an extension of the ground level 
of the Highland Resort which will be used for the site of a new supermarket and 
other retail outlets, car parking – screened from the high street and public open 
space. In this way we can utilise the exposed faces of the bedrock at road level and 
on the north, south and west sides of the site and the underside of the concrete 
deck to increase the thermal mass of the development which will assist with 
creating economic, stable conditions in the new shops along the Grampian Road. 

The construction of the external walls and roofs will equal or exceed the Building 
Regulations in terms of their thermal performance. The new supermarket will have a 
far higher level of natural lighting – fully glazed (double glazed) walls to the north 
and clerestoreys to the other three sides as well as some roof-lighting or sun pipes, 
to reduce the demand for artificial lighting. All the new shops along Grampian Road 
will be naturally lit from the east. 

By careful cut and fill we intend to minimise the amount of excavated spoil removed 
from the site and to re-use arisings – graded and crushed, for aggregate and the 
excavated local stone for facings of key elements of the elevations, if appropriate. In 
this way we will reduce the demand for materials to be imported to the site and 
save on transport costs and haulage journeys. 

 

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A key development is the abandonment of the fully-glazed winter garden structure 
proposed for the supermarket in favour of “glu-lam”- supported green roof, 
planted with sedums and stone crops. The change will not only minimise the impact 
of the supermarket when viewed from the high ground to the west of the Resort 
but also allow us to create a far higher level of insulation for a key element in 
determining the thermal performance of a building. 


Water Conservation. 

The project will incorporate a sustainable urban drainage system utilising the green 
roof and a permeable surface to the surface car parking at deck level. These two 
elements will help to slow surface run-off and enable the new pond proposed for 
the north end of the development to hold and slowly release the water into the 
surface water drainage system and the river, without risk. The water will pass 
through interceptors to remove oil and petroleum products entering the 
watercourse. It is not intended that the Milton Burn contributes to the surface water 
drainage system and would only act as an overflow to the north pond in exceptional 
circumstances. 

A percentage of the surface water will be “captured” in storage tanks below deck. 
This grey water will be used for toilet flushing for the development, significantly 
reducing the demand on the public supply. 
 

Transportation. 

The development is located at a key transport interchange, identified on the local 
plan for Aviemore. The south end of the development is directly opposite the 
railway station and close to the bus set-down point, east of the village green. 

As part of the design development we have significantly reduced the number of car 
parking spaces for the development both above and below the deck; the number of 
spaces allocated to those with disabilities has not been reduced. 

Secure cycle racks will be provided in the below-deck car park (covered) and also in 
the Grampian Road, close to the Laurel Bank access road and on the deck level. 

The site has been made more permeable for pedestrians – new routes have been 
indicated along the south side of the Village Green, the Laurel Bank access road has 
been dedicated to pedestrian-only use and provides both ramp and stepped access 
from the Grampian Road to the Highland Resort as well as areas for seating and 
planting. A third route has been created across the east-west axis by a new path 
along the north side of the development overlooking the Milton Burn. 

 

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Use of Local Materials. 

There is no consistent palette of materials used for buildings in Aviemore. However, 
in our townscape analysis we identified several which have been used in a 
widespread manner. Some of these materials we have incorporated into the Retail 
Development also, to give a consistency; others we felt were “local” but were 
under-represented in the settlement. 

We have taken the decision to minimise the number of materials on the project and 
these materials are either indigenous to the site or used frequently in the existing 
buildings – both traditional / historic and contemporary. 

We will use the local stone in “random-rubble coursing” and hope to secure a 
significant percentage of this from the site itself. The remainder will be acquired 
from local quarries or merchants to minimise transportation costs and disruption. 

The other key materials will be: render or harling; (self coloured), cedar and green 
oak – FSC approved and acquired from sustainable managed Scottish woodlands, 

High-performance double glazing in composite aluminium timber frames, pre-cast 
concrete for columns and deck panels- locally sourced, patinated zinc for metal 
flashings and small flatroofs, gutters and downpipes and the main green roof 
planted with sedums, stone crops and other species found locally able to cope with 
the rigours of the local climatic conditions. 


Local Labour. 

At this stage we are unable to confirm the level of local labour that will be used in 
the construction of the project. However, it is our intention to use local labour and 
companies wherever it is cost-effective to do so and assume that the completed 
development will offer significant additional employment opportunities to the local 
community.