Xander McDade

We have people coming up in their camper vans and camping in bays at the side of the road

application.

Also making a deputation on the day was Councillor Xander McDade, who was more concerned the proposal would do away with dozens of pitches for touring caravans at the park.

He said Highland Perthshire has a “serious problem” with wild camping and argued the loss of “official” pitches for touring caravans would make the problem worse.

“We have people coming up in their camper vans and camping in bays at the side of the road,” he said.

“The road up there is not very great as it is and we’re spending a significant sum of money to put in extra bays so we can get lorries past.

“If we take up those bays with camper

vans this is going to further exacerbate the problem.”

Addressing residents concerns about flooding an agent for the park, Rachel Bailey, said it wouldn’t matter if the park flooded as static caravans were more “resilient” to flooding than tourers anyway. She also said a pond built years ago to catch surface water would be widened as well.

Cllr Wilson nevertheless moved a motion to defer a decision, saying he would like to have seen SSE’s report on the flood risk. “I feel we have an incomplete picture,” he said.

However councillor Harry Coates moved an amendment to approve the application and this got one more vote than Cllr Wilson’s motion to defer.