Badly needed Highland Council housing plans in Aviemore approved after vote
Long awaited plans for Highland Council housing at the site of the former Aviemore Primary School have been backed but only after a lengthy debate and going to a vote.
The 12 affordable homes on the eastern part of the site at Milton Park were finally approved by 12-2 votes at Friday's meeting of the Cairngorms National Park Authority's planning committee.
The school closed its doors for the last time in 2012 when the new classrooms opened at Muirton.
The old building had suffered from structural issues – including cracks plaguing the school – due to the boggy nature of the site.
CNPA planners acknowledged that there was a lot of peat in the ground at the site and the area was known to flood when water backs up a long way from Milton burn.
But they were content the plans to construct the homes on the driest part of the site on ground raised by one metre and a compensatory flood storage scheme would ensure that the properties would not be flooded.
Gavin Miles, the CNPA's head of planning, said: "This is the land that the agent has been able to identify and agree with Highland Council's flood team where ground raising can take place in order to raise these homes above the flood plain and the remainder of the site will be used for compensatory flood storage and as a wild space with no development upon it."
He said that the local authority has carried out a lot of ground tests to identify stable ground on the site: "There are few sites that have been as carefully surveyed as this one."
SEPA had not objected to the proposal.
However, planning committee member Derek Ross was not satisfied by the assurances.
He pointed out that the council had made a mistake originally in choosing the site for the village's primary school and who was to say they would be right this time.
Mr Ross said: "I have reservations about this; Highland Council is not approving this application – we are.... The housing has got to be in the right place.
"The council did not get the school right when they built it and what is to say they are getting this right in building this housing? I have to wonder if this application is storing up problems for the future."
Mr Ross was supported by Xander McDade in moving an amendment for refusal of the application contending 'the best analysis had not been done and all flood risk understood'.
But they failed to find any other supporters when it came to the vote.
All the properties will be affordable housing and include four ground floor, wheelchair accessible flats.
The details of the full application can be read by clicking here and clicking on item 8
Aviemore Community Council supported the application noting that the ‘introduction of new local authority housing in an area suffering from a chronic housing shortage is very much welcomed’.
The watchdog said the site is currently an eyesore. But it also noted the concerns from some residents on the impact of additional traffic and loss of car parking and said it hopes these issues can be addressed.
Related article:
Badly needed affordable homes in Aviemore and Nethy Bridge get the green light
There were also concern over the groundworks and construction works and the potential impacts of this on the structural integrity of surrounding properties given the problems the school experienced.
Other objections included:
• the proximity of the dwellings to the existing homes to the north of the site;
• construction taking place within a known flood area; and
• the height of the proposed homes being ‘overbearing’ due to the land raising required.
