Retail and town centres survey

We are currently working on the preparation of our next Local Development Plan and we need your help. 

Alongside Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework 4, the plan will set out the rules for development within the National Park. This includes how much new housing needs to be built and where and which areas need to be protected from development.  

The towns and villages of the Cairngorms National Park are home to a diverse range of ships and services. We want to hear your views on town centres and the retail sector of the National Park, and in particular what factors, such as occupancy rates and service provision, need to be considered in the preparation of the Local Development Plan. Please click to read the below document before completing the survey. 

If you would like to email us your response directly, please send it to [email protected] 

Check out the following documents

Town centres and retail topic

Town centres and retail topic - Engagement version

HTML version

Download PDF

This document contains an engagement version, dated August 2025, regarding the topic of town centres and retail within the Cairngorms National Park. It outlines the requirements addressed in the section, citing the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and linking them to the principal physical, cultural, economic, and environmental characteristics of the district, the purposes for which land is used, the health needs of the population, and the need to seek the views of key agencies. The document provides numerous links to evidence, including acts, action plans, planning guidance, and community action plans for various towns and villages within the park. It summarizes evidence by looking at policy context, mainly the National Planning Framework 4 which specifically addresses town centres and promotes a town centre first approach to development that seeks to support and sustain cities, towns and local centres, and recognises the importance of culture for the communities. Lastly, it looks at baseline matters, that summarise a number of matters relating to retail and town centres in the Cairngorms National Park.

Please be aware that this summary has been generated using AI.

Your input will help shape our approach and ensure that our next Local Development Plan reflects the priorities of the people who live and work in the National Park. If for some reason we can’t adopt changes you’ve suggested, your comment will be referred to a Reporter in the Scottish Government Directorate of Planning and Environmental Appeals later in 2025 and you may be asked to provide more information to support your position. 

The deadline for responses to this survey is Friday 26 September.

All data collected through this survey adheres to the Cairngorms National Park Authority's Privacy Policy.