Plans for 300 new homes in Kingussie back on the agenda

Plans for 300 new homes in Kingussie are finally moving forward again, but Cairngorms National Park planners have warned that obstacles still remain before work can start, even if they are given the green light.

Members of the park’s planning committee are being recommended by their officials to approve the masterplan in principle for the controversial housing when they meet at Boat of Garten Community Hall today (Friday).

Outline permission was approved by the committee in April, 2010 by 15 votes to six.

At the time, developers Davall Developments Ltd, owned by Aviemore-based Allan Munro and David Cameron, had hoped that work on the 15-year project could begin in 2011.

But the progress of the scheme has been held up because of a legal challenge in the Court of Session by conservationists about land allocated for building – including the Kingussie site – in the Cairngorms National Park Local Plan.

Lord Glennie rejected the case on all grounds, but a further appeal was made on October 11 that will now be heard on March 12-13, 2013.

Davall Developments Ltd, however, have pushed for a decision on their detailed plans for the 16-acre site to the north and east of the town, and the legal advice supplied to the park authority is that it can be determined tomorrow.

Mr Don McKee, the park’s head planner, said: "We are now in a position where two and a half years have passed since the initial resolution to approve this application.

"The applicant is seeking a decision, and there is an expectation by Scottish Government that ‘processes should be responsive, reliable, transparent and efficient’.

"The legal advice is that the CNPA, provided it has regard to all relevant material considerations, can determine this application."

More than 50 members of the public were present for the hearing in the Badenoch capital in April, 2010 – most of them objectors who feared that the plans, which could nearly double the population of the town, will swamp the local infrastruture.

They claimed that the proposals would ruin the appeal of the small town to visitors.

One of the objectors to the original application, Ailsa Schofield, said yesterday (Wednesday) that she would be surprised if the park gave the go-ahead for the development until the outcome of the appeal is known.

She said: "The community council is aware that there is still a great deal of opposition to this development within the town, but accepts that short of a successful appeal, development is inevitable.

"If this is to be the case, we would hope to see an appropriately scaled, high-quality sustainable development which complements the site, and of which Kingussie can be proud."

At least 25 per cent of the new homes will be affordable housing, and the masterplan includes plans for a possible shop.

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