Planning permission has been officially issued for houses near to Culloden Battlefield despite the row about the proposals.
Last night campaigners said they believed that Scottish ministers now have six weeks to decide whether to call in the reporter’s decision over the application.
Inverness Properties is now free to start building 16 homes within a few hundred yards of the historic site, which attracts thousands of visitors every year. The company appealed to the Scottish Government’s reporter after Highland Council voted to turn down the development plans.
However planning reporter Richard Hickman, who overturned the decision to block the housing scheme, said he agreed with Historic Scotland, which felt that the development was unlikely to “significantly increase the impact on the character and ambience of the battlefield”.
His decision to approve the housing prompted protests from across the world, with more than 16,000 people signing an online petition to stop the housing going ahead.
A campaign group has been set up to fight the proposals. However the only option left is an appeal to the Court of Session.
Last night a spokesman for the group, said: “There is a clause in government legislation that Scottish Ministers can recall the reporter’s decision if the matter is deemed of ‘national importance’. This is very rare. However we know that four in 26 previous cases have been recalled and overturned by ministers, so it can be done.” He added that they would stage a demonstration at Holyrood tomorrow to raise awareness among MSPs and called for the public to write to senior government figures who could influence the decision, including First Minister Alex Salmond and Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop. He said: “It is now time for the members of our Scottish parliament to show their support.
“This is not political. This is about history, culture and the legacy we leave our children.
“It is of national importance.
Highland Council was also ordered to pay the legal costs of the case, which Inverness Properties claimed was £18,000.
A local authority spokesman said that the matter was now settled after negotiations with the company. However he declined to reveal how much the council paid.
He added that an update would be given to members of the south planning applications committee at their meeting on Tuesday.