Controversial plans for a new 1,500-home village in the shadow of the Cairngorm mountains cleared another hurdle yesterday in the face of an ongoing legal challenge.
The way is now clear for a detailed masterplan to be submitted for the An Camas Mor development just across the River Spey from Aviemore.
Developers said yesterday that work could start by the end of the year.
The riverside village, on Rothiemurchus Estate, would be developed over 20-30 years, with affordable housing, businesses and community facilities.
However the controversial proposals still face opposition locally.
A consortium of environmental campaigners – the Cairngorm Campaign, the Scottish Campaign for National Parks and the Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group – have lodged an appeal with the UK Supreme Court challenging the Cairngorm National Park Authority’s (CNPA) local plan – which includes proposals for houses at An Camas Mor, Carrbridge, Kingussie and Nethy Bridge. They have already lost two appeals in the Court of Session.
A spokesman for the alliance said yesterday: “The park authority is still failing in its duty to the environment and we are not going away. This move doesn’t change our case and the park seem to be counting their chickens before they are hatched. ”
The CNPA said yesterday they had officially issued planning permission in principle following the conclusion of a complex legal agreement covering aspects of the development such as affordable housing and developer’s contributions towards healthcare, education and community facilities, including a public park.
Owner of Rothiemurchus Estate, Johnnie Grant said: “We welcome this significant step towards meeting the long-standing Aviemore and Vicinity Community Council vision of a new planned community at An Camas Mor.”
And Kenny Shand, of Springfield Properties, which is developing the first phase of An Camas Mor, said: “This is very welcome news and a major step forward in delivering a sustainable, planned community which is appropriate for its outstanding location and delivers much needed new homes and commercial space locally. We can now move quickly to submit our masterplan and hope to be on site later in the year working on the first phase of the development which will include 40% affordable homes.”