Hopes new public toilets at Glenmore will relieve pressure from visitors
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Plans have been lodged for public toilets at Glenmore to relieve the pressure caused by dirty camping.
Highland Council has submitted the proposals for the site of the old facilities which are no longer in use.
It comes after a call last autumn from local Highland councillors for the facilities – expected to cost around £120,000 – to be ready in time for Easter and the start of the main tourism season.
The proposal is to demolish the redundant building and replace it with a purpose build modular unit consisting of one accessible WC, one other WC and an associated store.
The access path will also be upgraded.
The plans have been lodged with the council's planning service in Kingussie.
The design statement says the proposed toilets will be created to fit in with their surroundings.
It states: "The new unit will be located in the same position as the existing building and the access path upgraded to an accessible footpath.
"The finishes for the modular unit include timber effect cladding to the external walls and pitched tile roof, and dark grey doors to contrast.
"The unit will be located on the same footprint as the existing to minimise disruption and will utilise the existing services.
"The site will be cleared of sapling and scrub that have encroached on the path and building. One mature tree will be removed to allow for the new drainage to be installed.
"The existing drainage has been surveyed and requires regrading and replacement."
The call was made last autumn for the new public conveniences to be opened at Glenmore by next Easter to help in the battle against dirty camping at the beauty spot.
It was agreed in 2021 by Highland Council that a project should go ahead with Cairngorm National Park Authority to demolish the derelict Glenmore public convenience and instal the new modular unit at the site.
Visitor management funding worth £60,000 was awarded by the local authority’s tourism committee in March, last year, to carry out the joint project with match funding coming from the CNPA.
Area committee chairman Bill Lobban told the gathering last Autumn: “These facilities are desperately needed and will certainly help to alleviate the problems in Glenmore.
“This needs to be done and it needs to be done by Easter next year."
An engineer’s report found there has been extensive damage to the drainage line of the old public toilets due to mature trees which have grown over the lifetime of the sewer.
Glenmore has suffered from problems with dirty camping which hit a peak after the end of the Covid lockdown in summer 2020 causing misery for residents in the small community.
This included people defecating at the beauty spot.
