Campaigners have hailed “a victory for common sense” after plans for a major housing development were rejected by a Scottish Government reporter.
The 319-house development – dubbed Nairn South – was rejected by reporter Iain Urquhart on grounds that the existing road network would be “unable to cope”.
A housing consortium comprising Scotia Homes, Barratt North East Scotland and Robertson Homes applied to build 319 properties on a site off Cawdor Road on the south side of the town.
A number of Nairn community groups and Highland Council both spoke out against the plans at a three day hearing in June as part of the appeal.
Mr Urquhart’s decision ends a long running saga, which had started with Highland Council originally approving the plans before a planning committee overturned the decision in October last year.
Brian Stewart, a member of Nairn West Community Council, spoke out against the plans at the hearing.
Yesterday he said: “The reporters decision represents an obvious victory for common sense.
“The reporter has been very thorough and very fair throughout but his final decision is a pretty comprehensive demolition job of the developer’s arguments.”
Dr Joan Noble of the Nairn Residents Concern Group added: “The roads are simply not up to standard now so the right decision has been reached.
“What we need now is to get the community and the council planners around a table and work out where we go from here.”
Councillor Michael Green, Nairn, said: “While the final outcome was both sensible and correct, the path to the appeal was far from perfect.
“Going forward, I will be working to facilitate a more effective working relationship with the Highland Council Planning department and create a partnership approach that will generate development, both private and affordable, in scale and location, that the people of Nairn want.”
Derrick Thomson, director of Scotia Homes, said: “The consortium is naturally disappointed by today’s outcome.
“We will now take time to fully consider the reporter’s decision before taking a decision on our next steps, especially considering that the area is zoned for housing.”