Aviemore new town prospects hanging in the balance
The prospects for plans to build a new town near Aviemore which would provided much needed affordable housing appear to be hanging in the balance.
The Cairngorms National Park Authority’s planning committee is to withhold detailed planning permission for the first 200 homes at An Camas Mor until an ongoing legal challenge has been resolved in the Court of Session.
One source, who did not want to be named, said the prospects for the scheme should become clearer “fairly soon”.
The source added: “It is a long held ambition to see An Camas Mor happen for the people of Aviemore.”
However the path ahead for the scheme appears uncertain to say the least.
A CNPA spokeswoman said the committee had noted the legal advice to the challenge and agreed to continue to “work with vigour” to prepare the way for the development of An Camas Mor.
She explained: “In particular a complex legal agreement (a Section 75 agreement) needs to be finalised and agreed between a number of different parties before any formal Decision Notice could be issued.
"The timetable for issuing this decision notice will depend to a very significant degree on the speed of the court process. Court hearings are scheduled for March, next year.”
CNPA Planning Committee Convener Eleanor Mackintosh said that much as the authority would like to issue the Decision Notice soon, its lawyers have advised that to do so in advance of the court hearing would simply risk further legal wrangling which could last years, be a huge cost to the public purse and help no-one.
The “Strathy” reported last week that there is a small window of opportunity for significant public financial assistance from the Scottish Government from quantitative easing money, as well as from Highland Council , for the first 80 affordable homes lined up in phase one and due to be built by Elgin-based Springfield Properties.
However that depends on the planning consent being put in place for the planning consent being put in place for the first few houses in the next few weeks and there are concerns that the entire project could be undermined if the deadline is missed.
If fully realised, An Camas Mor would become home to around 3,000 people over the next 25 years, with 25% to 40% of the homes being built being deemed as affordable.
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