Plan for 20 homes in popular Nethy Bridge woodlands is rejected

An application to build up to 20 houses in a Nethy Bridge woods which is popular with locals for recreation has been rejected by the Cairngorms National Park Authority.

Members of the CNPA's planning committee rejected the bid for the homes at School Wood by 14-2 votes, going against their own planning officials' recommendation after a two-hour hearing.

The application by CastleGlen Properties (Aberdeen) Ltd sought permission for seven affordable homes and 13 open market properties on the site between Craigmore Road and School Road.

Gavin Miles, the CNPA's head of planning and communities, said: “The application is on an area of native, ancient woodland and while this would be lost, it is a small area in the context of the park, Badenoch and Strathspey and even in the context of Nethy Bridge.

"While these issues could persuade you to seek to refuse the application, it must be remembered that this site is allocated for housing in the currently adopted Local Development Plan which cannot be ignored.

“Furthermore, approval of this application would make a significant contribution to the supply of affordable housing units within Nethy Bridge during this plan period, where no other units on an allocated site within the village have been developed.”

In response, CNPA planning committee convener Eleanor Mackintosh commented: “It is a difficult application for us to refuse.

It’s on an allocated site that will deliver affordable homes where they are required.

"However, knowing that this particular area will no longer be an allocated site in the next Local Development Plan – having received the Examination Report this week – makes it hard for us to approve.

“This site has a long history of objections to being developed due to its nature conservation and recreation value and while respecting the expert advice of our planners I feel that this is an application which cannot be supported.”

The applicant's ecologist Nigel Astel had said during the lengthy proceedings that the site only accounted for four per cent of the area of School Wood.

He had told the meeting – held virtually – that the developers had proposed compensatory planting at another site they owned in the village.

They would also carry out the expensive translocation of some of the rich ancient woodland soil as part of mitigation measures.

Pressed on how effective this would be by CNPA members, Mr Astel said that the results might not be known for another 200 years.

Part of School Wood had at one time been home to a POW camp.

Members were also informed by local CNPA member John Kirk that much of the site earmarked for housing had been cleared in years gone by and could not be deemed Ancient Woodlands but was a timber plantation.

He, along with CNPA member Willie McKenna, had backed the planners' recommendation for to approve the housing but they were defeated.

The proposed amendment to refuse the application on the grounds of it failing to comply with policies aimed at protecting ancient woodland was carried in the vote.

The site is designated for housing in the current Local Development Plan (LDP) – although not in the next Plan which has yet to be formally adopted but is expected to submitted to Scottish Ministers soon.

Woodland Trust Scotland welcomed the decision. Spokesman George Anderson said: "If approved, this application would have led to the direct loss of ancient woodland, in contravention of both local and national planning policy.

"That would be wrong anywhere in the country, but much more so in a national park. We commend the planning committee for rejecting the application.

"Ancient woodland is irreplaceable. Once gone it cannot be recreated."

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