Objection to housing development in Kingussie sustained
26-07-2009
Objection to Housing in Kingussie Sustained
In
November 2008, the Campaign declared its opposition to the development of four houses on a site in Gynak Road, Kingussie, stating,
“The Campaign’s concern and vision of the Cairngorms environment embraces the entire ecological catena including lowland
features such as the pine forests, broadleaved woodlands, wetlands, and the flanking glens. This includes the cultural landscape of
the straths with their rivers, the surrounding cultivated, cultural landscapes and the natural environment and amenity of
settlements. This landscape not only has a high biodiversity but, despite the emphasis in much marketing literature for example on
the high mountain areas, it is the environment which the visiting tourist chiefly experiences. It is also the environment that daily
surrounds local residents. The diversity of open accessible green spaces, various forest and woodland areas, waterways, lochans and
other natural and semi-natural features provides children growing up locally with a rich range of recreational opportunities and a
direct experience of the natural world that enhances their development and lives enormously. Such an environment has an enormous
experiential value as well as for biodiversity and science. It should therefore be carefully protected for sound social and economic
reasons. It is instructive to compare the contrast in potential for such experience that faces children growing up in Kingussie as
it stands, with that of children growing up in Aviemore!”
The Campaign also pointed to the cumulative effect of
often large scale housing development in Badenoch and Strathspey on the overall environment and living area of residents and
visitors to the Strath. The developer has now appealed against the decision, but the Campaign has maintained its objection.