Aviemore resort holiday chalets get go-ahead – but only just

Planning permission has been approved for 25 more holiday lodges at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort by just a single vote.

Members of the Cairngorms National Park Authority's planning committee backed the application by 9-8 votes when they met earlier today in Grantown.

There was concern over the impact the holiday accommodation would have on ospreys feeding at a lochan on the site and on the rare small scabious mining-bee.

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But committee member Bill Lobban pointed out: "The developers would be quite within their rights to stop the whole operation of feeding the ospreys and to strim the entire site from one end to the other destroying the biodiversity that there is."

There had been 11 objections to the application by the hotel and resorts group for the 3.2 hectare site including from Aviemore Community Council.

The resort has pledged to relocate the play park which forms part of the site also comprising the former dry ski slope and a small car park.

Mr Lobban said: "This site is slap bang in the middle of Aviemore.

"The play park area never has been a public play park – in fact there used to be a big sign stating the facility was exclusively for the use of hotel guests.

"It is great to see the applicant is committed to relocating it but I would also like to see a commitment from them that it will be permanently open to the public."

He said he doubted the new holiday lodges would have 'any impact whatsoever' on traffic levels in the village which was another of the concerns raised.

Mr Lobban continued: "Rather than having this site continue as a mown grassed area which in the past has held a circus tent and various other things all summer long, this could improve the biodiversity of the entire area.

"On balance, I support this application."

But the application did prompt concern amongst a significant number of planning committee members – including the high number of planning conditions being imposed as part of the recommended approval.

Committee member Fiona McLean said: "My concern is the scale of this development... if it had been a smaller development I would have been absolutely content.

"To me, it is too big."

Fellow member Steve Micklewright commented ": I am really, really uncomfortable about this planning application... It feels like a planning application that is not satisfactory...

"I think we should go back to the developer and ask for a revised application which is of a smaller scale and balances a lot of the questions that are in the conditions."

Earlier at the meeting, Tessa Jones, of the Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group had flagged up the potential loss of Devil's-bit scabious at the site as part of the objection made to the committee.

"It is a very important flower in the national park and the only food plant for one of our rarest insects – the small scabious mining-bees," she told them.

"We are concerned that this represents over-development with green spaces being squeezed in Aviemore for example with the construction taking place at Dalfaber Woods at the moment.

"It is impacting on amenity and people's health and well-being."

The amendment to reject the application cited the lack of information from the applicants on how biodiversity would be enhanced by the major development meaning the development would be contrary to national and Cairngorms National Park Authority planning policies.

However, this failed at the final hurdle when planning committee member Duncan Miller backed the motion with the vote tied at 8-8 – after a short pause after Mr Miller had briefly been forgotten about by the administration staff conducting the vote.

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