Snowmaking machine approved for another year at Cairngorm ski resort
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Cairngorm Mountain has been given planning permission to retain its Snowfactory at its current site for a further year.
Members of the Cairngorms National Park Authority’s (CNPA) planning committee approved the application at their latest meeting to keep the snow-making machine on an area of hardstanding by the Day Lodge.
Committee member Pippa Hadley had asked for information to be provided in the future to show that the Snowfactory was beneficial to the resort.
She said she fully shared the environmental impact concerns highlighted by some of her planning committee colleagues over its operation, but also was aware of its importance to providing skiing.
“I just want to know that it is not being run needlessly and snow is being created on the off chance,” she said.
But Willie McKenna, referring to current overseas Covid travel restrictions, said: “The word out on the street is if skiing in Europe does not go ahead this year, then the Scottish resorts will be inundated with people. So the more snow we can make, the more viable we can make it.”
Planning committee chairwoman Eleanor MacKintosh observed: “I think there are quite a few skiers among you guys on the planning committee, and you will be our eyes and ears as to how efficient it is.”
Committee member Carolyn Caddick said: “I think we have to trust that Cairngorm Mountain is not going to waste money on snow-making when it is not necessary as it costs a lot of money.
“The general view is if people can not travel abroad and want snow then this could be a really good opportunity for Cairngorm Mountain.”
Gavin Miles, the CNPA’s head of planning, agreed there was no need to monitor the Snowfactory’s performance. He said resort chiefs could provide this justification in any future application to continue the use of the snow-making machine.
He said: “There is no secret about this – the records are there of how many days of skiing they have, the number of visitors and the days they are open.”
Earlier in the meeting, Mr Miles had commented on the current location, saying: “HIE and Cairngorm Mountain themselves know that this is not an ideal location, and it is not an ideal operation and they do want to move it which will require a planning application and they also want to use greener energy to make it work.
“Artificial snow-making is seen as something which is essential to keep the lower slopes going, and that would be the case after the funicular is repaired as well.
“This will be something which will come back to the planning committee again either in this same location or for a new location.”
A Cairngorm Mountain spokeswoman said: “We are naturally pleased that the Cairngorms National Park Authority has granted a further 12 months use of the Snowfactory from its current location.
“We can’t move it until there is further electrical capacity on the mountain so this will need to await an upgrade of the ring main by SSE.”
Ed Swales, the CNPA’s monitoring and enforcement officer, had stated in his report the application has been required to replace the expiry date of the current temporary permission from November 19, to one year’s time.
He explained: “The condition was attached in recognition of the temporary nature of the development and to enable the planning authority to reassess the impact of the development after a given period of time and secure removal and restoration.”
He continued: “The structure essentially has the appearance of two metal shipping containers, with one placed on top of the other, with fans and operating infrastructure on top.
“While such a structure in this location is not considered best practice, given its temporary nature the use of the equipment to continue for a further 12 months is considered to be acceptable."
Café and retail staff at Cairngorm Mountain were put on furlough last week, but all other staff remain on site. It is understood the furlough will only last through November.
