Welcome to the Cairngorms National Park

Planning

a rock on a hill

Planning FAQs

  1. Who do I ask about the need for planning permission in the Park?
  2. Who do I submit my planning application to?
  3. Who do I pay my planning application fee to?
  4. How will I know if the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) is dealing with my planning application instead of local authority?
  5. Will my application take longer because of the Park?
  6. How is the role of Community Council affected by these arrangements?
  7. Can applicants, Community Councils, other bodies or the public generally have a say on whether a particular application should be determined by the CNPA?
  8. What types of planning application are likely to be called in?
  9. Can I appeal if the Park Authority refuses my planning application?
  10. Who do I contact if I think planning regulations are being breached in the Park?
  11. Applications to be Determined - Committee Procedures

Q1. Who do I ask about the need for planning permission in the Park?
A General questions about planning permissions, including the likelihood of obtaining planning permission, should be put to the relevant Council. There are four Councils within the Park. Contact the one responsible for the site you are interested in.

Q2. Who do I submit my planning application to?
A The local council remains the first point of contact for anyone wishing to make a planning application.

Q3. Who do I pay my planning application fee to?
A The council to which you submit your application.

Q4. How will I know if the CNPA is dealing with my planning application instead of local authority?
A On registering your application, the Council will notify the CNPA, which has 3 weeks to decide whether it wants to call in the application for determination. During that time the Council will continue to process your application. If the CNPA does call in your application, it will tell you as soon as it has decided to do so. If the CNPA does not contact you, your application will be determined by the Council. Speak to the Council or CNPA planning staff if in any doubt.

Q5. Will my application take longer because of the Park?
A No. Most applications will be decided in the normal way by the appropriate council. Those that are called-in by the CNPA will be because they are of special importance to the Park. Inevitably, contentious applications may take time, as is the case for any planning authority. The CNPA will always endeavour to meet time targets set by central government for determining applications.

Q6. How is the role of Community Council affected by these arrangements?
A Not at all. They continue to be the statutory consultee on all planning applications but, in those cases where an application is called-in by the CNPA, the comments of the Community Councils will be passed by the Council to the CNPA which will take them into account before determining the application.

Q7. Can applicants, Community Councils, other bodies or the public generally have a say on whether a particular application should be determined by the CNPA?
A Decisions on whether to call-in an application will be based on the Protocol which describes, in broad terms, the categories of application which may be called-in. The Protocol has been drafted, and agreed, jointly by the CNPA and the four constituent Councils but it cannot cover every situation and therefore a degree of flexibility is required - particularly in the early life of the Park. Any representation received by the CNPA about whether it, or the relevant Council, should make a decision on a planning application will be taken into account provided those comments are received within two weeks of the application being registered. Comments received at a later date may be too late to influence a call-in decision.

Q8. What types of planning application are likely to be called in?
A Details of the call-in criteria and procedures are set out fully in the Protocol, which can be obtained, from the CNPA or Councils. It is important to bear in mind that a call-in can only be triggered by a judgement that an application raises an issue of "general significance" to the Park because of its particular scale or characteristics - or because of its effect, cumulatively, with applications of a similar type. It is not possible to give an exhaustive list of categories of application likely to be called-in but attention will focus on those applications which:

Types of development which might fall within those criteria are:

Q9. Can I appeal if the Park Authority refuses my planning application?
A Yes. The appeal process is exactly the same as if the refusal had been issued by a Council except that the decision will be defended by CNPA staff rather than Council staff although both may give evidence in some cases.

Q10. Who do I contact if I think planning regulations are being breached in the Park?
A Start with the relevant Council. The CNPA will normally only lead enforcement action where a breach has occurred because of non-compliance with a condition imposed on a consent issued by the CNPA. In cases where the breach arises from a decision issued by one of the Councils - or is of a general nature not related to any particular planning permission - the relevant Council will lead the process. If there is a case for CNPA involvement it will be made by agreement between the Council and the CNPA.

Q11. Applications to be Determined - Committee Procedures
A Click here to download PDF. Click here to download Microsoft Word document.


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