Pink clouds at sunset

Cairngorms National Park Local Plan

The Cairngorms National Park Authority is currently developing a new Local Plan. The Local Plan will eventually replace the current Local Plans covering the four Local Authority areas within the Park: Aberdeenshire, Angus, Highland and Moray. It will set out detailed planning policies to guide development in the Park over the coming years and all planning applications within the Park will need to relate to the Cairngorms National Park Local Plan.

The Plan and its policies will play a key role in collectively delivering the four aims of the Cairngorms National Park. It will help protect the outstanding natural and cultural heritage of the Park from harmful development. It will support new development needed for the Park's communities by identifying sufficient land in the right places. It aims to address the lack of housing, particularly affordable housing, and it will ensure that all new development is of the highest quality in terms of design and sustainability.

The Local Plan will deliver in the following three key areas:

  • Conserving and Enhancing the Cairngorms National Park
  • Living and Working in the Cairngorms National Park
  • Enjoying and Understanding the Cairngorms National Park

Although separate to the Cairngorms National Park Plan which sets out the Park's short and long-term future, the Local Plan will be one of the key tools in delivering the Cairngorms National Park Plan's objectives for development and land use.

Adoption of the Local Plan

At the Planning meeting held on 20th August, the Planning Committee agreed to make no further changes to the Local Plan, and proceed with the formal mechanisms to adopt the Plan. It is hoped to formally adopt the Plan on 29th October 2010. At this point the Local Plan will replace those produced by the four Local Authorities. After this date copies will be available but a working draft of the document is available here. This document sets out the final polices and proposals and should now be referred to when submitting any planning application for development in the Park.

Supplementary Planning Guidance

Along with with the Local Plan, the CNPA has produced a suite of Supplementary Planning Guidance. This guidance expands on the detail of some of the policies in the Local Plan. It provides additional information and guidance to help everyone understand the policies in the Local Plan, helping to ensure that their developments meet the requirements of the policies. A number of supplementary planning guidance documents are out for public consultation from Monday 24 May to Friday 24 September.

Local Development Plan

Work has already started on the next Local Development Plan, which will in due course replace the Local Plan. The Development Plan Scheme (DPS) outlines how the CNPA will prepare the new Local Development Plan - including how we intend to engage with the public in this process. The first stage in this process is to compile a Main Issues Report for public consultation, which is due for publication in May 2011.