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Image:  Cairngorms National Park Authority logo


Cairngorms National Park Core Paths Plan 

Local Inquiry Update, July 2009 

The Core Paths Plan was submitted to Scottish Ministers on the 18th of March 2009 
with 23 outstanding objections. Ministers have instructed the Directorate for 
Planning and Environmental Appeals to hold a Local Inquiry into the Plan. The 
Cairngorms National Park Core Paths Plan will be the first ever to go through a 
Local Inquiry process. 

Mr Malcolm Mahoney has been appointed as the reporter for the inquiry. It is his 
intention to deal with the majority of objections through written submissions. The 
ten objections relating to the proposed designation of the River Spey as a core path, 
however, will be subject to a hearing. A full list of all outstanding objections to be 
dealt with by the Local Inquiry is available on our website here. 

The hearing is intended to be a structured round-table discussion led by the 
reporter to enable him to obtain the information necessary to deal with the 
objections relating to the River Spey only. The CNPA, the ten objectors, the 
Highland and Moray Councils and the Scottish Canoe Association have all been 
invited to attend. The hearing will be open to the public but only the invited parties 
will be allowed to take part. The Reporter will carry out accompanied site visits the 
day after the hearing. 

The hearing will take place on Tuesday the 28th of July at 10am and is expected 
to last for one day. The reporter has booked the Aviemore Highland Resort as 
the venue for the hearing. 

Once the Local Inquiry process is complete (including both the hearing and the 
objections dealt with by written submissions) the Reporter will prepare a report and 
recommendation for the Minister. The Minister will then notify all those who took 
part in the Inquiry of their decision. 

For more information on the Local Inquiry process please see the Code of Practice for 
Local Inquiries into Core Paths Plans and Other Inquiries published by the Scottish 
Executive in December 2006 which can be viewed on the Scottish Government 
website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/160308/0043627.pdf . 

If you have any further queries on this process please contact us at 
corepathsplan@cairngorms.co.uk or telephone 01479 873535. 

3 July 2009