|
|
|
|
|
New Row Over National Park Planning Arrangements as BSCG Backs The People of Carrbridge |
||
|
|
|
|
|
New Row Over National Park Planning Arrangements as BSCG Backs The People of Carrbridge |
||
|
BSCG backs the people of Carrbridge in their fight to save important amenity woodland from proposals to build more than a hundred houses. We urge Highland Council to follow the advice of the National Park Authority and reject the latest proposals by Aviemore and Highland Development that in our view would like their earlier proposal seriously damage two European priority woodland habitats. Bog woodland which in this wood provides a home to the narrow-headed ant is very scarce in the UK. The following article appeared in the Scotsman on 13th February 2004 and explains why the planning hearing due to take place on Monday has been postponed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Row erupts over planning for new Cairngorms park JOHN ROSS A DISPUTE over a proposed housing development has reignited controversy over planning arrangements for the Cairngorms National Park. The Standards Commission for Scotland (SCS) has been asked to rule on the situation which campaigners say they foresaw and which would not have arisen if the new park had been given full planning powers. When the Cairngorms park was set up last year, planning powers were split between the park authority and four councils, unlike Scotland’s first national park, in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, which has full planning powers. However, it has led to a problem with Highland Council’s five councillors in Badenoch and Strathspey also being members of the park authority. The anomaly has been highlighted by proposals from Aviemore and Highland Developments to build 117 houses in Carrbridge. The plans are being opposed by residents, who claim they would increase the size of the village by a third and spoil its character. They have also been criticised by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA). When the application was discussed by the CNPA, the councillors left the meeting as they had to consider it later as council planners. However, the area planning meeting, due to be held on Monday, was postponed while the council sought advice on the councillors’ role from the SCS, which was set up four years ago to maintain high ethical standards among people serving on public bodies. The council blamed a "procedural issue" for the postponement. Alan Simpson, the council’s Badenoch and Strathspey area manager, said: "This is a matter which comes under the councillors’ code of conduct and we have asked the commission for clarification because in this case the national park authority made representations in respect of the planning application. "This situation has arisen because the application was lodged before the commencement of the Cairngorms National Park. We hope a decision will be made soon." Because of the situation, the application may have to be decided, not by the Badenoch and Strathspey planning committee, but by Highland Council’s full planning committee. The situation was yesterday attacked by local conservationists. Dr Gus Jones, the convener of Badenoch and Strathspey conservation group, said: "The fledgling park, that should be a unitary planning authority like all other national parks in the UK is suffering the consequences of incompetent treatment over planning. We need better planning arrangements for the Cairngorms to put right the glaring inconsistency between the powers given to Scotland’s first national park but denied the Cairngorms." Lloyd Austin, of RSPB Scotland, said: "The planning regime created for the Cairngorms National Park has the difficulties that were anticipated. It underlines the need to ensure the special status of the park is recognised in a clear planning regime in ways that Loch Lomond and others are." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
++++++++++ ++++++++++
