Conservationists claim to have identified five nests belonging to Scottish and hairy wood ants in an area designated for 24 affordable homes, forming the first phase of plans for up to 117 homes in the village.

They also believe that the even more rare narrow-headed ant and blood red slave maker ant have nests elsewhere on the site, and their populations will be seriously harmed by the development.

The narrow-headed ant was first discovered in Britain just over 100 years ago, and can only be found in large numbers in two areas – the Caledonian pine forests of Strathspey and the lowland heaths of South Devon.

Carrbridge Community Council would also welcome proposals to change the affordable housing proposals by Aviemore and Highland Developments – bought last week by housing giants Tulloch Homes – because they have fears for other inhabitants.

They believe that families with young children moving into the new homes being provided by Alybn Housing Association could be put at risk because they could be living at the entrance to a building site for nearly a decade.

The housing development, controversially approved by the Scottish Executive's Reporters Inquiry Unit after being refused by Highland Council and opposed by the Cairngorms National Park, is scheduled to be constructed over three phases, with no more than 15 houses being built per year.

The intention, supported in the ruling by Reporter Philip Hutchison, is to build the batch of 24 affordable homes at the front of the site first, which would mean construction lorries passing right by their doors.

Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group highlighted their concern for the future of the four species of wood ants on the site bound by Crannich Park, Rowan Park and Carr Road at the latest planning meeting of the Cairngorms National Park Authority in Grantown on Friday, when the applicants were seeking the final go-ahead for their scheme.

Ant expert Dr Gus Jones is convener of BSCG, who have been opposing the development, which will result in Carrbridge growing by one-third in size. He said that the current proposed development site was home to around 10 per cent of the UK's known narrow-head ant population, while the other three species were also very rare outside the area.

He said: "In my experience, the risky business of moving ant nests usually fails miserably, and Scottish Natural Heritage are correct to discourage this last-resort management technique."

Dr Jones said that a wood ant nest which was moved a short distance on Rothiemurchus Estate just over five years ago by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Forestry Commission Scotland had not been recolonised.

He continued: "The wildlife and hydrology surveys undertaken by the developer are inadequate and unacceptable. They have missed out narrow-headed wood ant nests as well as large and conspicuous nests of other wood ants. They have done nothing at all on Juniper and several other priority species. They did not record a single red squirrel drey."

The charity Trees for Life recently carried out a special study on translocating wood ants' nests, and believes that an offer by the developers to move five affected nests in Carrbridge are doomed to failure.

Spokesman Dan Puplett said: "Translocating wood ants is not considered a viable option in this case, as so little is known about how to do this successfully. Our native woodlands and wildlife need to be afforded the protection they deserve."

Planning committee members were advised by their officials that more investigation was required into the conservation group's claims.

Park planner Andrew Tait said: "The site is not designated in heritage terms for any particular habitat, but the situation with the narrow-headed ants is of concern. If there are nests within this development area, then the proposal clearly does not comply with the outline conditions, which requires a full survey of that site."

As well as loss of habitat and popular woodland, objectors at the time said that the development was akin to the houses in the former Channel 4 TV soap 'Brookside' and would put huge pressure on existing infrastructure, including the village school and water and sewerage capacity. However, there had been support in some quarters because of the affordable housing element.

Mr Scott Bruce, chairman of Carrbridge Community Council, said the watchdog group felt very strongly that, contrary to what was being proposed, the housing should be phased and integrated into the wider development. He said that batches of affordable housing did not solve the problems faced by local families in getting a home of their own.

"I appreciate the Reporter's view that 24 homes should be built almost immediately, but I suspect that Reporters are suspicious people and they like to get the affordable housing in early so that they ensure it is provided," he said.

"In the old days, we used to get three or four houses per annum. Our last big development resulted in 25 affordable houses in 1995; 12 years later we got eight, and now we are getting 24 homes, and then nothing for the foreseeable future.

"This strikes us and many residents as being an unsustainable social development, and in fact if anything, creates a greater future housing need rather than elevating the problem.

He continued: "We would also want the affordable housing phased into the three developments, as opposed to – if I can use the term – being ghetto-ised at the far end of the development. It is socially irresponsible to have a development for families with ten years of construction traffic passing right past their doors."

However, park officials believe it could be difficult to alter the phasing and integration of the affordable housing because of the conditions imposed by the Reporter on what they described as an already "complicated application on a complex site".

The park authority does want the number of affordable houses within the development of up to 117 houses to be increased by six as part of the later phases, as they believe there is currently an under-provision. They have taken legal advice because Mr Hutchison was not notified that Highland Council required 25 per cent of any new development of ten or more houses to be allocated for affordable homes.

Park planners recommended that the Carrbridge application was approved subject to a legal agreement to provide the extra affordable home, but suggested that committee members may want to make a site visit.

Members unanimously agreed to defer the application for a visit, which will also give officials time to investigate further the impact on wood ant populations and affordable housing situation. No date has yet been set.

Earlier in the meeting, Mr Bill Hepburn, of Tulloch Homes, said that Aviemore and Highland Developments, sold to them by Aviemore businessman Allan Munro and David Cameron, had not been attempting to "pull any rabbits out a hat".

"They have faithfully tried to follow the terms of the outline planning permission, as they are obliged to do," he said.

He added that a lot of work had been carried out on the habitats and hydrology of the site, including site meetings with SNH, SEPA and Highland Council, to get the "best possible fit" for the proposals. Their hands were tied in terms of moving the affordable housing and increasing their number because of the Reporter's conditions.

"Having said that, I would not discount our willingness to co-operate with the national park and to try to provide these additional affordable homes in later phases," he said.

musgrove_g@spp-group.com

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