Cairngorms homes blueprint

A new plan which will shape the future of housing decisions within the Cairngorms National Park have taken a step forward.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority has agreed a number of changes in a recent consultation to publish a new local development plan for the park, which will affect planning decisions in a number of areas of North Perthshire that fall within the park’s boundaries.

The authority’s planning committee met in June at Nethy Bridge, where planning manager David Berry gave a summary of the responses they had received during the public consultation on the matter, outlined the proposed changes and explained the next steps in the process to creating a new local development plan.

He said: “For the most part, the preferred options outlined in the main issues report should be used as the basis for the proposed local development plan which we aim to publish for consultation in November.

“However, there are some changes recommended in response to consultation comments, including a limited number of new site allocations that are considered appropriate to include in the next local development plan, subject to a short consultation on these during August.”

Councillor Xander McDade represents Perth and Kinross Council on the national park board.

Eleanor Mackintosh, convener of the authority’s planning committee, said: “I would like to thank the team for their hard work in going through each and every submission in detail and taking this report back to the planning committee.

“The debate in the room has been really good with regards to site allocations, housing needs and how we ensure protection for the park’s special qualities.

“I look forward to the next stage in the process when we will be presented with the proposed local development plan, which will go out to consultation towards the end of 2018.”