Objections raised over ‘Disney-fication’ of Cairngorm Mountain
Plans for children’s adventure play equipment at Cairngorm Mountain as part of the resort’s bid to enhance its year-round family appeal will be considered tomorrow.
Cairngorms National Park Authority planners are recommending approval of the different activity items but opponents have said it will add to the ‘Disneyfication’ of an ‘already impacted location’.
The application site consists of six parcels of land in and around the Day Lodge, funicular base station and car parks at Coire Cas.
The proposals which will be delivered in four phases and comprise:
• A children’s interactive ball track facility, over six separate areas, is proposed in the Mountain Garden Area and adjacent to the Lower Cas Car Park.
These will be a variety of designs up to 1.5m height and of timber construction. They will be removable features that will be dismantled and taken off site for storage over the winter.
• A jumping pillow of 14m x 10m proposed in the lower Cas Car Park area.
• A proposed food cart which will be a timber clad 4m x 3m x 2.5m moveable structure.
• Proposed wood carvings, up to 2.5m in height which will be free standing structures or bolted to a plinth.
• Wooden ‘CAIRNGORM’ climbing frame letters up to 3m high are proposed along the western edge of the lower Cas car park.
• Five separate covered seating areas are proposed consisting of booths of 3m x 3m x 2.5m in height.
• A water rail feature, which will be of similar appearance, style and materials to the ball run facility, and will also be demountable.
The water feature will utilise the water that flows from the mountain garden and down the existing drainage channel. The water feature will be constructed of a combination of wood and rocks.
• A second interactive water feature along the edge of the adventure play area will utilise the water that currently flows beneath the car park in the existing culvert.
• A proposed animal timber play structure to be located between the existing tubing slides.
The indicative drawings show this structure as a wooden pigeon, however the detail of the proposal is yet to be confirmed and could be in the shape of a locally present bird or animal such as a ptarmigan, grouse or osprey.
The planning report states the CNPA’s landscape consultant states the additions are proposed in landscape ‘marred’ by other infrastructure and car park.
It continues, however: “In their opinion, the letter and animal features would significantly detract from the natural setting and grandeur of the Cairngorms.
“It would exacerbate the cluttered appearance of existing infrastructure in the vicinity and compound the negative perceptions associated with infrastructure in the vicinity of the ski centre and car park especially for those who walk into the mountains to seek tranquility within highly natural surroundings.”
The CNPA’s ecology officer has raised no objections to the proposal.
Aviemore Community Council made no representation.
The Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group has objected to the proposed development.
They believe the adventure play equipment would be intrusive and detract from people’s experience of the
mountain scenery and contact with nature.
They said it would form a negative start and finish to many people’s activities in the mountains.
The BSCG has said the proposal will exacerbate the ‘Disneyfication’ taking place at the resort.
They also claim the PVC jumping pillow would weather and decompose leading to harmful chemicals entering the environment.
CNPA senior planning officer Colin Bryans states: “The proposal is intended by the applicant to supplement Cairngorm Mountain’s offering as an ‘all year round outdoor, healthy destination’ by offering summertime facilities particularly for families with children.”
He continues: “The proposed development will have a relatively light footprint on the hill side and is of a modest scale, with elements including the ball runs, sculptures, water features and food cart all being removeable, to be stored during the winter months and reinstalled in the spring.
“The animal play structure and the Cairngorms letters will be larger and more visible, but all at a much smaller scale than the neighbouring buildings.”
He concludes: “The proposed development is located on an established recreational, sport and tourism site and is intended to make a positive contribution to the experience of visitors and to increase the year round offering of the site.
“The layout, design and materials of the proposal are considered acceptable and appropriate to their setting against the existing baseline of buildings, ski infrastructure, large car park and children’s play facilities.
“Impacts on the landscape will largely be localised and where possible have been suitably mitigated through appropriate design, materials and siting.
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