Much needed small business units lined up for Aviemore

A much needed new light industrial park serving the Aviemore area could be in the offing in the not too distant future.

The Granish Farm Partnership is behind plans for 20 commercial letting units at Granish between the Aviemore Kart Raceway and Highland Council's recycling centre, and the village's water treatment works.

Members of the Cairngorms National Park Authority's planning committee are being recommended to approve the light industrial premises at Knockgranish when they meet tomorrow at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort's Peregrine Suite.

CNPA planner Stephanie Wade states in her recommendation for approval: "This application seeks planning permission for the erection of 20 light industrial units together with vehicular parking areas and associated infrastructure.

"The units are proposed for use under Use Class 4 – business. The proposal seeks to offer the industrial units in three separate terraced blocks."

The development on 1.24 hectares of vacant land comprises:

• Block one is sited on the western side of the site and accommodates nine units

• Block two takes form of an L-shape, located on the eastern side of the site accommodating eight unit; and

• Block three is sited adjacent the access on the north of the site, housing three units.

Each unit provides a floor area of 100 square metres.

If approved, the industrial units would have a steel portal frame construction with part timber clad and part metal sheeted elevations.

The site will use the existing road junction to the B9152 with an internal access road to be of adoptable standard by Highland Council.

Ms Wade states: "The proposed parking areas, which are dispersed in clusters around the site, are to be permeable block paving for drainage and will remain unadopted providing parking for 88 vehicles...

"The site layout also includes provision for bin storage and bike storage for 12 bicycles. A path connection is also proposed to connect the site with the existing path which currently terminates at the kart-track car park."

Aviemore Community Council is described as being 'neutral on this application', however, the watchdog does have some concerns about the increased traffic flow from the access road onto the B9152.

Ms Wade states: "The traffic generation has been assessed by the Highland Council Transport Planning Team who have not raised an objection on road safety impacts arising from the development.

"The applicant has demonstrated that the visibility splays at the access junction meet council requirements and the proposal is not considered to adversely impact the local road network or road safety."

There have been no objections from the public.

A total of 40 trees are proposed to be felled during the construction. None of the trees form part of any ancient semi-natural woodland or any woodland recorded in the Ancient Woodland Inventory.

Ms Wade states: "The proposed public benefit of supporting the local economy, on an existing, brownfield site, is considered, on balance to outweigh the local contribution of the subject trees and a planning condition for compensatory planting is recommended."

The site is located within 250m of the Granish landfill site.

Highland Council's contaminated land officer confirms that the gas levels are within the trigger levels and does not recommend the need for any planning conditions.

The local authority's environmental health officer has not provided any comments on the scheme and SEPA has no specific comments.

Ms Wade concludes: "The redevelopment will bring this underused, brownfield site back into a productive use fulfilling a need to support the local economy by providing business premises for the local community."

The principal elevations have a steel roller shutter door, a pedestrian door, and a timber framed window.

The roof is proposed to have a low profile, covered in metal sheeting with the addition of translucent sheets for natural lighting.

Park authority planners state the proposed site was previously disturbed in 2021 during the Scottish Water Treatment Works expansion with topsoil being stripped, tree removal and contours regraded.

They report: "The site was poorly reinstated and is now predominantly patchy, natural wild grass regeneration."

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.