A section of track and a bridge built to allow access for construction of the Beauly-Denny powerline, will be retained for forestry work.
The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) yesterday granted permission for Forestry Commission Scotland to keep the track at Kinloch Laggan.
This is despite a condition attached to the powerline consent stating that all tracks should be reinstated by Scottish and Southern Energy.
The commission wants to use the track, which includes a crossing over the River Pattack, to help their operations in the area, which include extracting a significant amount of timber from Laggan Wood.
It also claims that the retention of the track will have a benefit for public access.
CNPA Planning Officer Matthew Taylor said: “The approved FCS Laggan Woods Forest Design Plan identifies a requirement for the construction of an access road and the installation of a bridge at more or less the same location as the temporary track and bridge we are looking at today.
“This is in order to effectively manage felling and replanting on the site over a number of years. The applicant considers that the permanent retention of this section of Beauly Denny track will allow them to utilise the existing infrastructure and avoid the need to construct a new track and crossing.”
Eleanor Mackintosh, the CNPA planning committee convener, said: “This is not the first of these applications to come before us and I think we should make it very clear that the retention of sections of track associated with Beauly Denny line will only happen in exceptional circumstances.
“In this case, the retention of this section of track and bridge are justified and sensible. It will save a great deal of time, expense and disturbance to the area if Forestry Commission Scotland can utilise something that is already there.”