Dry slope plan at CairnGorm Mountain given a frosty reception

NATURAL Retreats is facing an uphill battle if the firm still wants to go ahead with its controversial plans for an £1.5 million artificial ski slope at CairnGorm Mountain.

Members of the Cairngorms National Park Authority's planning committee resoundingly rejected the application by 9-1 votes at their meeting at Boat of Garten Community Hall on Friday.

The decision comes as a major blow to the Wilmslow-based company which had claimed the addition proposed by the Coire Cas car park was a vital way of attracting more visitors to the resort year-round, and nurturing more snowsports enthusiasts.

But conservationists at the meeting claimed that if the slope had gone ahead it would have become "a textbook example of unsustainable development".

Aviemore Business Association had contested that the proposal was "the wrong slope which is in the wrong place for the wrong reasons".

And members of the CNPA planning committee agreed after 80 minutes of discussion that the design and siting was inappropriate.

They rejected the application despite their own senior planner recommending approval and their ecology team stating the impacts could be mitigated against.

Members deemed it would lead to "significant adverse landscape impacts in the short to medium term that are not outweighed by the economic benefits of the proposal".

They had been informed it could take between 10 and 15 years for the vegetation to re-establish itself as screening for the slope because of the altitude and climate at the prominent site by the Base Station.

Planning committee chairwoman Eleanor Mackintosh said after the vote: "Fifteen years is a very long time. A lot of visitor experiences are going to be marred."

Adam Gough, CairnGorm Mountain representative, who had told of the need for the slopes aimed at beginners and intermediates, was clearly stunned by the rejection.

Asked immediately after the decision if an appeal was likely, he said that a statement would be issued later.

CNPA head planner Gavin Miles had stressed from the outset the application had to be determined on planning issues – landscaping impacts in particular – and not on its commercial merits, which had generated much argument.

He said the business case was a matter for Natural Retreats.

Mr Miles told the committee the artificial slope would not extend the ski area in any significant way but the footprint of obvious development would increase.

He commented: "Initially the team were very concerned about the landscaping but as more information was given to us by the applicants it was considered that in the long term planting would mitigate against that. There would be an impact in the short term of the dry ski slope.

"Whether it will ever be an attraction in its own right and generate significant income, who knows, but that is not a consideration of the planning process.

"In effect it is a diversification of business in this area and therefore acceptable and if it was to strengthen the stability of CairnGorm Mountain then that's a good thing."

He said there were some 'hefty' planning conditions attached to control the development.

CairnGorm Mountain's representative said some 60 per cent of total visits to the resort were in just three winter months of the year.

Mr Gough had told the committee Natural Retreats had explored several options in depth to remove the reliance on winter income including mountain biking and zip-wiring but this plan was the most viable at this time.

He said it was imperative the attraction can provide year-round employment in order to retain its best staff. This site was the most sheltered for the ski slope and close to other facilities without impacting on other slopes, he said. It could also be used for tubing and other activities.

Mr Gough acknowledged the clamour for better ski uplift at CairnGorm which has been overtaken as Scotland's most popular ski resort.

He said: "We would like nothing more than to be able to upgrade ski infrastructure to improve the snowsports experience for everyone but this has to be a long term process built on solid commercial foundations."

He said the slope could be in operation for 75 per cent of the year outwith winter and ice would not be a problem as it was easy practice to break it up.

ABA secretary Alan Brattey said history showed artificial slopes at Scottish resorts including the Lecht, Glenshee and Glencoe had not worked.

He also said a bright green Snowflex slope would stand out like a sore thumb and no consideration had been given by the operator to an alternative by market leader, Neveplast, which could be camouflaged.

He said that of just over 1000 votes on Facebook on the application, 80 per cent were against it.

Tessa Jones, of the Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group, asked the committee: "What are you going to say to the world about this peatland destruction?"

Committee member Dave Fallows moved the application be refused and he was seconded by Carolyn Caddick.

He said he appreciated the efforts to mitigate against the ski slope but said: "It can't possibly soften in the long term the impact that this makes on the area."

Mrs Caddick said: "We are going to see it for miles and miles around."

Peter Argyle had moved in favour of the application saying he had faith in the planning officers' conditions but was not supported.

Mr Brattey said after the vote: "This was very much the right decision and we'd like to congratulate the planning committee for deciding to reject this planning application against the advice of their planning officials.

"We very much hope that common sense will now prevail and that the plans for the Ptarmigan Building will be dropped.

"We are left to wonder just exactly why HIE allowed their tenant to take such a madcap plan all the way to the CNPA's planning committee who were very decisive in their rejection of it."

He said HIE should divert the £4 million to new uplift. "The hill business requires to be funicular proofed as soon as possible," said Mr Brattey.